BOLI Bolingoli-Mbombo insisted he has no qualms about taking Kieran Tierney’s place in the Celtic team as the Belgium left-back declared himself fit and ready to face FK Sarajevo in next Tuesday’s Champions League qualifier.
The 24-year-old’s £3million fee strongly suggests the former Club Brugge and latterly Rapid Vienna player has not been brought to Glasgow for the next four years as an expensive stand-in for the club’s most popular player.
Tierney, who is still recovering from his double hernia operation from five weeks ago, is expected to leave Celtic for a record fee of close to £25m, with Arsenal and Napoli both ready to make the 22-year-old Scottish football’s most expensive and best paid footballer of all time.
This is why Bolingoli-Mbombo was scouted and signed, and in near perfect English the Belgian insisted he was ready to immediately prove his worth.
“I know that he [Tierney] is a great player and a big player, one of the best in Scotland,” said the defender. “To me, it’s great to have the confidence of sharing this same position with the biggest player in Scotland.
“If he stays or not, it is going to change anything. We are going to work together to give everything for the club because we are team-mates and have the same vision. If he is not there or if he is here, we will work hard.
“In the end, the coach can only put 11 players onto the pitch, but the rest always have to be ready to replace the other players. I think I could learn a lot from him also and what he’s done here in Scotland.
“I just can’t wait to see him and learn from him. The only thing I know is that he is a similar type of player to me, so that’s also great to have same typical players in the same position.
"I didn't ask if the player was going to stay or not. I came here for the club and to make history. If he is going to stay or not, it's going to change nothing for my decision at all.
“It's always healthy competition to have a colleague like this player. He is a good player. I have heard a lot of positive things about him. I am always open for healthy competition and if he stays, we will work together and try to give everything to the club."
Bolingoli-Mbombo returned to pre-season training with Rapid Vienna before Celtic were back which means he has a good chance of at least being in the squad which flies to Bosnia next Monday for the first qualifying match.
“I’m fit and I’m ready to play, so let’s see in the next days what can happen,” revealed the left-back. “My training here starts on Friday and we have a game on Tuesday, so I can say to the coach is that I am fit, I am ready and he can take the decisions.
“We [Rapid] played three friendly games already. We started at the same moment as Celtic on June 19, so I’m ready. We have done the training camp, they are still there now, and I am ready and fit to start the new season.”
The Belgian becomes Neil Lennon's third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Christopher Jullien and Luca Connell.
“It feels amazing to be part of the Celtic family," said Bolingoli-Mbombo. I am happy to be here and hopefully I can help the club win more titles and trophies. You cannot say no to a club like Celtic. It is a great opportunity for me to take the next step."
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