Youssouf Mulumbu has revealed he was close to signing for Rangers in 2018 before a personal call from Brendan Rodgers led him to Celtic. The former West Brom midfielder says the chance to join the Hoops was a dream he could not turn down.
Advanced Talks With Rangers Stalled
Speaking to Parimatch Online Casino, Mulumbu explained that he was in advanced negotiations with Rangers and close to finalising a contract when talks suddenly stalled. He returned to France, and then Rodgers contacted him directly.
"Football is crazy. I'll tell you the story of how I signed for Celtic. I was actually in advanced negotiations with Rangers. We were finalising the contract when negotiations suddenly stalled out of nowhere. I returned to France, and out of the blue, Brendan Rodgers called me personally. He spoke to me at length about the club and how he planned to integrate me," Mulumbu said.
Career Resurgence at Kilmarnock
The midfielder joined Celtic after an impressive spell with Kilmarnock, where he was a key part of Steve Clarke's side that finished fifth in the 2017/18 season. He left Kilmarnock at the end of that campaign to sign for the Hoops.
At Celtic, Mulumbu struggled for game time and eventually returned to Rugby Park on loan. He admitted that, with hindsight, he would have stayed and fought harder for his place at Parkhead.
Reflecting on His Time at Celtic
Mulumbu said he should have shown more patience instead of asking to go out on loan when he was not starting. He believes he would have played far more games for Celtic had he stayed put.
"Moving to Celtic was a dream because I had always wanted to play for an elite club competing for silverware. The dynamic was very different from Kilmarnock, though. Celtic already had established midfield leaders, Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, and Nir Bitton," he said.
He acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a settled starting eleven under Rodgers, who had a preferred tactical structure. Despite the challenges, he described playing at Celtic Park in front of the passionate fans as a special experience.
