With under a month now left in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, Celtic still have business left to complete. £12.3 million worth of arrivals have come into the club so far but some fans are still left unsatisfied. This could perhaps be due to the lack of a so-called ‘marquee’ signing or it could be due to the £25 million fee the club received for winger Jota from Al-Ittihad which hasn’t been fully reinvested into the playing squad.
The first game of the league season is now in the rear view mirror as Celtic defeated Ross County 4-2. The performance was satisfactory but didn’t set the world alight which has led to fans calling for a bit more activity in the transfer window.
So, with three weeks left of the summer transfer window, what is left for Celtic to do?
Celtic’s squad is already pretty bloated and there aren’t many positions in which reinforcements are needed. However, with Carl Starfelt’s departure to Celta Vigo all but completed, the high-quality options at centre-back are looking slim.
Stephen Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi would cause some butterflies in the stomachs of Celtic fans should their names appear on the team sheet which leaves just Cameron Carter-Vickers and new man Maik Nawrocki as options that the fans would be confident in.
This seems to be a problem that Brendan Rodgers is eager to address as, just last night, it was reported by Swedish media outlet Sport Expressen that Celtic had sent off a £2.9 million bid for Elfsborg centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke. The 23-year-old has been a regular starter for the side that sit at the summit of the Swedish Allsvenskan and at 6’2″ he could be the man to replace the aerial threat that Carl Starfelt brought to the Celtic defence.
The club have also enquired about the services of FC Volendam’s 21-year-old centre-back Xavier Mbuymaba who also has reported interest from Watford and Wolves.
Shift the deadwood
There has been an emphasis from fans to shift on the deadwood for a few seasons now. A few of the ghosts of the failed ten-in-a-row attempt such as Ismaila Soro and Albian Ajeti still linger at Lennoxtown and on high wages.
With wages now stepping in the way of Albian Ajeti securing a return to former club Basel, and Ismaila Soro’s move to Ligue 2 side Valenciennes seemingly falling through, it begs the question as to whether Celtic will get a fee or a permanent move secured for either of the pair.
James McCarthy and Mikey Johnston can also fall under the category of deadwood. James McCarthy’s injury record has deterred potential suitors from signing the Irishman and Mikey Johnston’s recent displays for the Irish national team could help to encourage interest in a permanent move away from Parkhead this summer.
The main cry from Celtic fans has been to sign a goalkeeper. Despite Joe Hart being a steady starting keeper in his first season at the club, the potential for a mistake always lingered. Those mistakes started to creep up far more often last season and some questionable performances in the early stages of this season have only fuelled the fire for the club to sign a new goalkeeper.
With European progress being one of Rodgers’ main ambitions, then a new goalkeeper has to be on the agenda for Celtic, especially when you consider how little the margin for error is when you are playing against Europe’s elite.
Celtic haven’t been linked with many goalkeepers this summer, however, with talks over a move for Dinamo Zagreb keeper Dominik Livakovic quieting down.
Brendan Rodgers has shown confidence in his number one and it doesn’t seem like a new stopper is on the agenda, much to a portion of the support’s disappointment.
JAMES MCKENZIE
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