Jamie Lawrence to Celtic could be a transfer masterstroke – or a complete disaster

Celtic are interested in Tirol centre-back Jamie Lawrence, who has already had an eventful career despite being just 23.

Rudy Galetti reports that the Hoops are among the clubs monitoring the towering centre-back. Lawrence’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Tirol are understood to be willing to cash in on the former Germany youth international this month.

Celtic are the only suitors that are explicitly named, but the journalist claims that unnamed clubs from China, Russia, Spain and Turkey are also keen on the player.

It remains to be seen if Celtic will actually make a move for Lawrence. They are known to be in the market for a centre-back and have also explored a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Aurele Amenda.

However, Celtic are being linked with every player under the sun right now. Martin O’Neill has been left to pick up the pieces of the failed previous regime and is now scrambling to bring in any kind of reinforcements. Signing a striker is the clear priority, but a centre-back could also arrive.

Lawrence signing could be brilliant – or terrible

If anything, Lawrence would be an entertaining signing for Celtic, although admittedly that is not necessarily a good thing when talking about a centre-back. The 23-year-old has often blurred the lines between brilliance and madness.

The 6ft 7in giant came through the Bayern academy and was a highly-rated prospect during his time in Munich. Lawrence was deemed good with the ball at his feet and equipped with remarkable physical attributes.

However, he never actually made a first-team appearance for the perennial Bundesliga champions, nor was his first spell in senior football particularly auspicious.

He joined 2. Bundesliga side Magdeburg on loan in 2022 and, on paper, looked well-suited to the style of then-coach Christian Titz, who wants his team to play entertaining, front-foot, possession-based football that requires defenders who are good in possession.

Unfortunately, Lawrence’s time in Magdeburg did not go as planned. In fact, it was pretty disastrous. The step up from Bayern’s reserves to the second division proved much too great for the young defender.

It wasn’t all his fault, of course. At the time, Titz himself was still learning that 2. Bundesliga football is unforgiving. His approach often left his defensive players exposed, which naturally made Lawrence look even worse.

It was only later that Titz became a bit more pragmatic, but by that point, it was too late for Lawrence. He had already lost the trust of the coach due to some comical errors in and out of possession.

He made 25 appearances in his first season at Magdeburg but only played 487 minutes in his second. In March 2024, he came on as a half-time substitute against Karlsruhe with his side 4-0 down. Magdeburg went on to concede three more, with Lawrence giving away a stoppage-time penalty that sealed a chastening 7-0 loss.

He only played 10 more minutes in the remaining eight games of that season. All told, he featured in just 55 minutes between November 2023 and May 2024, such was his fall from grace. He was sent back to Bayern that summer and instead joined Tirol permanently.

Lawrence appears to have learned from his calamitous spell in Madgeburg and has been much improved in Austria. He has been a regular for Tirol since joining and even chipped in with three goals last term. He has scored twice this season.

According to SciSports, Lawrence has still not hit his ceiling by any stretch of the imagination. The data analytics firm believes that the 23-year-old can still massively improve.

At present, he would only be a rotational option for Celtic, but he has the potential to eventually become a key player. Given that he has developed positively in Austria, signing him could be a gamble worth taking, especially as he would be available at a cut price due to his contract.

However, there would still be a massive risk attached to this deal. The last time Lawrence made the step up to a higher level, it was an unmitigated disaster. It seems that there is no in between – it could either be a Celtic masterstroke or a car crash of a signing.

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