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It is hard to believe that Victor Wanyama left Celtic ten years ago this summer.

The defensive midfielder was a colossus operating in the number six role in his two years at the club, following his arrival from Beerschot in 2011. Tall, athletic and strong, Wanyama operated just in front of the central defenders in Neil Lennon’s Celtic side, playing a key role as they wrestled the title back from Rangers that season.

He was also vital in the following campaign, especially in the Champions League, where he caught the eye of many suitors. His header against Barcelona set up what was to be a significant night at Celtic Park, as he helped the team secure a famous 2-1 victory.

Since his departure in 2013 to Southampton, Celtic have been crying out for a player of Wanyama’s ilk to plug this gap. The arrivals of Nir Bitton, Oliver Abildgaard and James McCarthy show that the club have been trying to find a player who can fill this hole in the squad, albeit with varying levels of success.

Bitton was deployed out of position as a central defender for a large part of his time in the side, while Abildgaard and McCarthy barely featured ahead of captain Callum McGregor, with the former having already left the club. It is clear that this has been a problem area for Celtic to fill over the past decade or so.

The latest player to feature in this long-term recruitment drive is Tomoki Iwata, who Ange Postecoglou previously worked with at Yokohama F Marinos. The reigning J.League Player of the Year, who arrived in January, has made a solid impression so far. He has impressed in cameo appearances against Rangers, where his calming presence has been felt in the midfield.

It remains to be seen whether or not Iwata will be the starting holding midfielder going forward, seeing as McGregor has been occupying this position for the majority of matches under Postecoglou, but this is arguably a position that needs to be strengthened if Celtic are to realistically compete in the Champions League group stages next campaign.

During the recent absence of Reo Hatate due to injury, Iwata has played further forward in the middle of the park, so it remains to be seen if he is going to operate in a holding role in Postecoglou’s evolving rotation.

READ MORE: Postecoglou's Celtic fringe players: Good enough for Europe?

All strong European teams in the modern game have an enforcer of some sort in their midfield who acts as an extension of the defenders behind them. Their job is to both defend in their own half and act as the middleman between the defence and the midfield in terms of transitions. Furthermore, they can join in with attacks if required and can make marauding runs.

Examples such as Rodri and Casemiro of Manchester City and United respectively have mastered this position in recent times, with both playing key roles in the midfield at the highest level. These players allow the more creative individuals to dictate the attacking side of the game while providing an extra line of defence to the centre-backs behind them.

It is clear that if Celtic want to improve their form in European competition, then this key area must be strengthened in the summer. Now more than ever, the European game is played at a far quicker pace, meaning that the club have to attract and recruit someone that can manoeuvre around the pitch with ease.

In many quarters last summer, that man was reported to be Brazil midfielder Vinicius Souza of Lommel SK, but he opted to move to Espanyol instead. With his loan move at the Spanish club ending in June, this may be an avenue that the club look to pursue again this summer. However, the player may see his future at a higher domestic level than the Scottish Premiership after playing in a top-five league in Europe this season.

Even if the player is not Souza, this is a position that Celtic needs to solidify ahead of the new season. In plugging this positional gap, it will allow more creative players such as Hatate, Matt O’Riley and McGregor to focus more on the attacking side of the game, as this new midfielder will complete most of the defensive work for them. These players can be the cornerstone of your football team, an individual with whom you can build the rest of the playing squad around in the process.

READ MORE: Why Celtic's McGregor has an air of Sergio Busquets about him

This style of player could also come in handy when playing some of the more difficult domestic games away from home, such as Rangers at Ibrox, Hearts at Tynecastle and Aberdeen at Pittodrie. In these fixtures, the home support will expect their players to provide an attacking threat to the visiting side so a holding midfielder may be what is required to extinguish these advances.

In a side where so much of the plaudits gained this season have been for the attacking play, Postecoglou needs to balance this out with a solid midfielder who can be deployed as an anchor in the middle of the park. If this is achieved, then better results in the Champions League could follow in the future.

This piece is an extract from the latest Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

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