The summer transfer window slammed shut last week with Celtic securing three deals in the final week, with two of those coming on deadline day as Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo arrived on loan from Liverpool and Benfica respectively.
Fans may have expected more activity and more marquee signings from the transfer window, especially with big stars such as Jota and Carl Starfelt moving on.
Celtic finished the window with a net profit of £14million, which isn’t an unfamiliar sight, but did the Hoops get the summer arrivals right? Here is ACSOM’s thoughts on Celtic’s summer transfer window arrivals.
Maik Nawrocki (£4.2million from Legia Warsaw)
The Pole enjoyed a steady introduction to life at Celtic after starting his first few games alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. Showing impressive recovery pace and distribution, Nawrocki looks like a solid, modern centre-back and was signed to be the replacement for Carl Starfelt.
The 22-year-old was at fault for the eventual winning goal at Rugby Park in Celtic’s Viaplay Cup second round exit at the hands of Kilmarnock, but we soon discovered that Nawrocki had picked up a knock prior to that passage of play.
We will expect Nawrocki to return to his starting berth when he returns in October.
Luis Palma (£4million from Aris)
The Honduran joined the club last weekend and has yet to make an appearance. On the bench at Ibrox, the 23-year-old didn’t get the chance to make his debut, although the early scouting reports and analysis indicate that Celtic could be on to a gem.
Possessing a strong goal-scoring ability, a valuable asset in a modern winger, and having electric pace, Palma could be the closest thing Celtic have to emulating the quality that Scott Sinclair brought to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side in his first term at the club.
Gustaf Lagerbielke (£2.9million from Elfsborg)
Lagerbielke may not have expected as many first-team minutes in the early stages of his Celtic career. With the current injury crisis the club is dealing with, especially at centre-back, Lagerbielke has started every game since he joined the club.
A solid and steady presence amongst what has been a makeshift and barebones backline in recent weeks, the Swede has shown promise to be a safe option for Celtic.
Odin Holm (£2.5million from Valerenga)
Odin Holm has only seen one first-team start since moving to Glasgow, however, his cameos from the bench have left fans encouraged and eager for more.
Some questionable social media actions aside, it’s been a good start to life at Celtic for the young Norwegian as he tries to break into one of the most stacked areas in the Celtic squad.
Yang Hyun-jun (£2.1million from Gangwon FC)
Much like the aforementioned Odin Holm, Yang has impressed with limited minutes, only seeing one start so far this season. However, when the Celtic attack has looked lifeless and lacking in an injection of urgency, Yang has provided that.
His willingness to run at defenders and showcasing some quick feet has fans excited. Whilst still a raw talent, with the right coaching, Celtic could be unearthing another Asian gem.
Marco Tilio (£1.4million from Melbourne City)
The Aussie came into Celtic with an injury which the club knew about, with the timeframe on his return not entirely clear at this stage.
At just 22-years-old and already being capped 7 times by an Australia side that reached the World Cup round of 16, Tilio could be another to keep a keen eye on when he is fit and ready.
Kwon Hyeok-kyu (£850,000 from Busan IPark)
Kwon hasn’t seen a single minute of competitive football since signing for Celtic this summer. This has surprised fans as usually a manager would be eager to start his new signings, but a poor showing in a pre-season friendly against Athletic Club seems to have written Kwon out of the equation at this current moment.
Arriving from a team playing in Korea’s second division, if Rodgers thinks Kwon needs more development at a better level then perhaps a loan move may have been a good idea.
Nat Phillips (loan from Liverpool)
An emergency signings with Celtic’s current situation at centre-back, Nat Phillips is a safe and steady option who will always be ready when called upon.
His role was just that in his time at Liverpool, waiting in the wings and then performing to a solid level when required, whether that be Premier League action or the UEFA Champions League.
The Englishmen will be at the club until January and if he can impress in his short spell in Glasgow, Celtic could look to extend his stay with another loan move or even a permanent deal.
Paulo Bernardo (loan from Benfica)
The Portugal U21 regular signed on loan from Benfica on deadline day with an option for Celtic to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of the loan spell.
The comparisons with the signing of Jota were going to be inevitable and it will be interesting to see how many minutes he receives in the first half of this season. Vying for places against the likes of Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and even Odin Holm will be a tough task and Bernardo needs to show some early promise.
JAMES MCKENZIE
Notice: Undefined index: src in /home/acsom/public_html/wp-content/themes/u-design/scripts/post-thumbnail.php on line 76
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.