Former Celtic striker Andy Walker has revealed that he believes Jeffrey Schlupp is an upgrade on Greg Taylor after his performance against Bayern Munich at the Allianz on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Schlupp joined Celtic on loan on transfer deadline day to little fanfare, given that he was seen as a short-term stopgap until Kieran Tierney re-joins the Hoops in the summer.
However, the Ghanaian has been sensational in recent games, with his performance against former teammate Michael Olise a real standout among a Celtic team that shocked the whole of Europe.
Schlupp brings an added physicality and pace at left-back that Taylor doesn’t, with the Scottish left-back more known for his ability to move into midfield and progress possession.
Schlupp, on the other hand, is more of an old-school defender who focuses on defending and overlapping at times.
With Walker discussing Schlupp’s success in a Celtic shirt in recent weeks, and how he feels that his time in the Premier League has made him a real game-changer for the Hoops.
He said: (Let Me Be Frank Podcast), “When you look at Jeffrey Schlupp – and I know you see a lot of English football too and I go to a lot of English football – the biggest difference I see, on a weekly basis, never mind anyone’s ability, it’s the physicality.
“The sheer size. Their physique. Their strength. And Schlupp, look at the size of him. He’s so powerful, he’s so quick. Totally different build to Greg Taylor. And I think he’ll be a great player for Celtic.
“He’s an upgrade on Greg Taylor. If you bring in Kieran Tierney, he’s an upgrade on Greg Taylor. But in all honesty, I think Greg Taylor has been absolutely terrific for Celtic.”
Walker does credit Taylor for his unbelievably successful five and a half years domestically. However, it’s clear that this has been an area where Celtic could upgrade if they are to go to the next level in Europe, particularly in the Champions League.
Taylor is often targeted by opposition teams domestically and in Europe due to his lack of physicality, something that Schlupp possesses in abundance. With the former Leicester City man not looking out of place at the Allianz, despite Bayern looking to target him, he showed what he brings to Celtic.
For Taylor, his Celtic future looks to be even more in doubt if it wasn’t already. Being benched for arguably Celtic’s biggest game of the season against Bayern Munich at the Allianz, with his current Celtic deal set to expire in the summer and Dinamo Zagreb reportedly leading the race, it appears that Taylor will move on at the end of the season.
