This season, the gifted central midfielder is spending time on loan in the Championship.
The January transfer window was not entirely fruitful for Celtic, as Brendan Rodgers reportedly lost out on targets at numerous important positions.
Although the Hoops managed to sign Austrian team Rapid Wien’s Nicolas Kuhn on a permanent basis, Football Insider said that the management was also looking for a center-forward, a goalkeeper, and a left-back.
On deadline day, Adam Idah, an English Championship player, came on loan with no buyout option from Norwich City. He was the only other first-team addition made before the transfer window closed.
On deadline day, The Daily Record revealed that the Bhoys were also considering signing a central midfield player to reinforce the team following the departure of David Turnbull to Cardiff City and the injury sustained by Reo Hatate while playing for Japan.
However, Rodgers might have been dissatisfied with Celtic’s efforts since they closed the transfer window without acquiring a new custodian, left back or central midfield player.
Next season, however, the Northern Irish tactician might find a surprising in-house replacement for Turnbull by promoting MacKenzie Carse to the first squad following his loan stint at Queen’s Park.
David Turnbull’s Celtic career in numbers
In the summer of 2020, the Scotland international joined from Motherwell on a permanent basis following an outstanding 41 games in which he scored 16 goals and provided seven assists.
Over the course of three years in Glasgow, he went on to play 134 games for the Hoops in all competitions, indicating that the club received a respectable return from the youthful talent.
With 31 goals and 23 assists, Turnbull shown his ability to score and create goals from midfield. On average, he would score or provide an assist every 2.48 games.
Perhaps his best season wearing a Celtic jersey was in the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership season, when he made an impression playing at number ten for the former Bhoys manager, Neil Lennon.
The 24-year-old magician provided the team with consistent excellence as a creator and scorer from a midfield position, as the table above illustrates.
Turnbull (2.7) was the Celtics player who made the most crucial passes per game that season. His passing was so brilliant for the Scottish giants that he actually created 0.8 more opportunities per match than any of his colleagues.
It was his best and most productive season at the team because of his 15 goals and 15 assists combined, which was the most he had ever managed during a campaign for the Hoops.
With seven goals in 16 Premiership appearances this season, Turnbull provided a scoring threat from the middle of the park—a total that only Kyogo Furuhashi could match.
Even though he scored a lot of goals, the former Motherwell player only started nine league games in the first half of the season and did not record any assists.
On deadline day, the Hoops sold the gifted whiz to Cardiff of Wales for an alleged £2 million, deciding they were ready to cash in on him.
This might have been because Rodgers didn’t often start him in midfield, preferring players like Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, and O’Riley.
David Turnbull’s Championship struggles
The right-footed ace has had a difficult time adjusting to life in the Championship in England with the Bluebirds since moving to Wales.
Turnbull, an offensive midfielder for his new team, has made five appearances in the second division, including two starts, and has not yet contributed a goal or an assist.
The Scotland international has only attempted one shot in those five games, and it was off target. He has also not produced a single “big chance” for his teammates in the last part of the game.
He still has plenty of time to become successful in Wales at the age of 24, and perhaps this season’s major shift is the cause of his current difficulties.
On deadline day, Rodgers made the right decision, it seems given his current form, to send him out of Parkhead permanently.
The Celtic teen who could replace David Turnbull
Despite rumours to the contrary, Celtic was unable to sign the central midfield player they were supposedly targeting during the January transfer window.
That does not imply, though, that Rodgers does not already have a man at the team who has the ability to become Turnbull’s ideal replacement.
Carse, a youthful player who spent the second half of this season on loan at Queen’s Park, has the potential to advance to the first team and replace the Scottish master for the 2024–2025 season.
The 19-year-old scored seven goals in 18 Lowland League games and one goal in six UEFA Youth League appearances for Celtic’s B squad in the first half of this season, showcasing his attacking ability.
Before his temporary departure, he captained the B team or Youth League side on fifteen times, demonstrating his leadership abilities for the club’s academy. This shows that he has the mental capacity to motivate others around him and possesses a mature head on his shoulders.
Carse recently demonstrated his ability as an offensive threat at the first team level for Queen’s Park with a goal off the bench against Dunfermline, as you can see in the table above.
This indicates that in four substitute appearances in the Scottish Championship, the juvenile wizard has already accomplished more at the top end of the game than Turnbull has in five appearances for Cardiff in the English Championship.
Between now and the conclusion of the season, Carse—who Queen’s Park manager Callum Davidson called a “high potential” prospect—must secure a berth as a consistent starter for the second division team.
Next season, the 19-year-old jewel might be the ideal successor for Turnbull if he can maintain his record as a consistent goal scorer for Celtic B at the senior level, as his goal-scoring impact for the Championship suggests he can.
Carse might replace the goals they have lost due to the sale of the now-Cardiff ace, thus Rodgers wouldn’t even need to look to buy another midfield player.
