Leicester City are reportedly looking to bring back Jeffrey Schlupp this summer. The left-back is out of contract at Crystal Palace next month and has one game left in his loan spell at Celtic, against Aberdeen on Saturday in the Scottish Cup final. [Football League World]
Schlupp joined Celtic in February after falling out of favour at Palace under Oliver Glasner. He made a strong start in Glasgow, with one of his best games coming against Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the Allianz.
2STG1FH Bayern’s Michael Olise, left, challenges for the ball with Celtic’s Jeffrey Schlupp during the Champions League playoff second leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Celtic Glasgow at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
But his form didn’t last. By March, Schlupp was struggling. He had a poor showing in Celtic’s 3-2 home defeat to Rangers, and since then, Greg Taylor has been preferred in his position.
Celtic won the league convincingly by 17 points, but Schlupp didn’t play a big role towards the end of the season. With Kieran Tierney already signed to return to Celtic on a pre-contract, it looks unlikely that Celtic will try to sign Schlupp permanently.
Meanwhile, Leicester are getting ready for life in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League. They want to rebuild their squad and are looking at experienced players. Schlupp fits that profile. He came through Leicester’s academy, played a big part in their 2015/16 title-winning season, and later moved to Palace for £12 million.
22nd February 2025; Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Jeffrey Schlupp of Celtic and Kasper Schmeichel of Celtic applaud the fans after the match
Now, eight years after leaving, Leicester are thinking about bringing him back. He was spotted in Leicester at the weekend, attending Jamie Vardy’s farewell event with other past and present players, adding to the rumours.
With no transfer fee involved and plenty of experience, Schlupp could be a smart signing for Leicester as they look to bounce back next season.
For Celtic, it looks like his short spell in Scotland is coming to an end, which promised so much early on but ultimately faded as form and opportunities dried up.
Tees for Tims - Jota Celtic