Celtic Transfers 2024

You have remained steadfast in your belief we would back the manager with quality

 

If we don't sign any at all does that mean yer getting a Blochairnboy tattoo?

 

We already have, and will again before the window shuts.

 

I wish I shared your optimism mate I really do. Time will tell if we get the players we need.

 

Sorry, I think I've phrased that wrong.

I want 5 players signed by the end of this window, 6 if O'Riley goes. I've said the positions multiple times but I want a LB, LCB, 2xCM and a winger, plus Bogusz as a flexible forward. Now, Bogusz is likely to be a mix of the winger/flexible forward and I'm fine with that for now. However, if we sign someone like Owen Beck at left back, that will * me off. I believe we could have had that deal done weeks ago and he's not the level of 'quality' I would have been happy waiting for. However, if we sign someone like Owen Wijndal, that's a quality player I'd have been happy to wait for.

Sounds obvious but the level of player we bring in will decide whether or not we have had a successful window and whether the waiting has been worthwhile. Everyone talks about the first window under Ange. The final week of that window we signed Jota, CCV, GG and Juranovic. So, we have shown before that we can sign really good players with little to no time left. Looks like the Bogusz deal is going to be the first of at least 4/5 signings we will make in this final week.

 

The simple objective for every window should be to a stronger squad by the end of it … We would probably need to have the busiest end to a transfer window that I can ever remember in my lifetime to achieve that. LB, LW, CDM, CB is probably what we need before any big departures.


If Kyogo goes alongside MOR then I would genuinely be astounded if we’re stronger by the end of the window.

 

My transfer window journey until now 5% hopeful, 70% rage, 5% renewed hope 20% terrified

 

I don't really see it as optimism and I'm absolutely not trying to sound like I'm trying to * folk off but it just seems like common sense to me. I get there are fans who are rightly annoyed about the lack of transfer activity so far. They're paying customers who are allowed to feel whatever they want. I prefer to see myself as a kind off middle shooter on this forum, where I will lay into the club when I feel it's needed, like I did after both windows last season but I'm smart enough to know that it's not as simple as FIFA or Football Manager and things do take time, especially when you're targeting a specific type of signing.

Now, does that mean we couldn't have been quicker? Of course not. I wasn't happy with the speed of the Bernardo deal, especially. I believed it became a bit of a joke, every day for about 7/8 days we seemed to get the same update from Portugal, from a completely different source. We seemed to have had that £3.5m deal with add ons agreed about 5 or 6 times and then we had agreed terms for about another 2/3 days. So yeah, I was * off. With Idah, I believe Norwich were trying to take the * and what pushed that deal on was the injury to Kyogo. I think Celtic would be still sitting, waiting for Norwich to accept a deal of around £6m/£7m if Kyogo hadn't have been feeling iffy with the shoulder. I believe it became a case of, who blinks first and Celtic were the ones to blink. Norwich were quite happy to sell for £10m, we didn't want to pay that much and again, it became a bit of a joke, which we were part of. I'm not against trying to get the best deal possible for players but I agree, there needs to be a fair balancing act. You either give them a date and move on, or you give them a date and match the fee or come to agreeable terms, quickly.

As I said in another post, even targeting players excelling in obscurer leagues is going to get far more difficult. Nanasi from the Swedish League is about to join Strasbourg for £9m. He's had what? A decent half season... £9m. That's a lot of money and we could pay that and still be taking a huge risk. So, I get why the club are in a bit of a limbo this window, where we are overly relying on Rodgers, who really only has a working knowledge of the English Market and we may go off some recommendations from scouts/agents but allow Rodgers the opportunity to carry out enough due diligence on signings, like we seem to have done with Bogusz. Then, you see a young midfielder like Engels, who seems to be breaking into the first team for a Bundesliga team, 20 years old so huge potential and he's available for a similar price? Great, £9m would be very well spent. Now, what's his terms? Can we make the deal work? He seems keen to join us, he seems like he would be affordable with terms. But even that is a risk. The boy has played 50 games for Augsburg, most of them off the subs bench. So again, it's a different type of risk.

As has been discussed multiple times on this forum, until the club upgrade the footballing department, we are going to be running of recommendations from our managers, agents/scouts/city group to get us out of transfer stickiness and I have a massive problem with that. We need a Director of Football AND a Head of Recruitment and a complete overhaul of our scouting department because they're not good enough.

 

Think this is it...

 

Sheffield United are in talks to sign Celtic winger Mikey Johnston.

The Hoops are open to offers for the Ireland international, who had a successful loan spell at West Brom in the second half of last season.

Meanwhile, Celtic are interested in Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty.

The 26-year-old joined the Blades from Arsenal for £5m last summer.

The USA international can play centre-back and left-back.

Celtic are looking to strengthen their options in defence, while allowing fringe players to leave.

Sky Sports News revealed yesterday that Heerenveen are in talks over a loan for Gustaf Lagerbielke and Portimonense have made a bid for Yuki Kobayashi.

The Scottish champions are also looking to provide cover and competition at left-back for Greg Taylor.

 

Straight swap, we were looking 5 mill for Mikey they were looking 5 mill for Trusty.

 

Another day basically gone with nothing happening... tic tok

 

Trusty can play LB, so not too far fetched tbh

 

There'll be plenty happening, just not enough yet for Gerry McCulloch to book the interview room

 

Could suit in a tough away game in Europe. Big tall strong back 4

 

We're going in the final week of the window needing 5.....

That's not taking into account Kyogo or MOR going. Struggling to see the positives here.

Edit: flip side. Selling Kyogo and MOR and not replacing them with genuine quality would see a revolt and Rodgers walk (potentially), so there has to be a few signings coming in.