The January Transfer Window 2021-2022

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou says he isn’t in the market to make any further January signings after securing four new players and missing out on Riley McGree.

The Parkhead club moved swiftly in the market, landing Japanese trio Daezen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguche as the window opened. Teenage Irish striker Johnny Kenny arrived from Sligo Rovers last week.

Postecoglou has seen the club linked with a number of other players but says he doesn’t have anyone else lined up to join the club before the deadline and isn’t planning any further purchases.

“As we speak right now, there are no other offers or people I have spoken to,” he said.


So the 20 names that come out tomorrow are all lies and fabrications. Or they’re from people at home bored and Googling names and throwing them up there, or agents trying to get a little more value for their clients.

“I can’t be any clearer than that, and what I won’t do is lie.

“There’s no one else we’re talking to, there’s no other offers, no one else I’m showing interest in. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”

The Australian did confirm that a move to sign midfielder McGree, who Postecoglou capped during his time as an international manager, had been unsuccessful. Celtic did hold talks about signing the player from Charlotte FC but the player now looks set to join Middlesbrough.


The Celtic boss said: “Riley McGree was someone we had an interest in because of my association with him and obviously I know the player very well.

“After initial discussions he’s decided to look elsewhere, which is fine.

“But we have not spoken to one other player except for the ones we’ve brought in.”






The Celtic boss also confirmed Riley McGree WON'T be coming to Scotland after the 23-year-old "decided to look elsewhere."

He also issued a hands-off warning to Udinese over young stopper Stephen Welsh.



The Serie A outfit wanted the defender on loan, with an option to buy but the bid was instantly booted.

On the interest, Postecoglou added: "He's going nowhere



The Celtic gaffer is content with his squad and has revealed he is not actively looking to make further ardditons.

J-League trio Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate all checked in as the January window opened.

Sligo Rovers ace Johnny Kenny quickly followed.

And Postecoglou has made it clear Celtic have not made any other offers to bring in further fresh faces.



He added: “Unless something extraordinary comes along or something happens within the existing squad that means we need to move.

“But as we speak right now there is no other offers or people I have spoken too.

“I can’t be any clearer than that.

“There is no one else we are talking to, there is no other offers and no one else I am showing interested in as we sit here today.


If that changes I will let you know.”

 

Tell you what if what Ange is saying is true, then I don’t think we win the league.

We gambled in the summer not bringing in another couple of players and going forward with a small first team squad. We keep hearing we brought in 12 in the summer but we lost 20 players from January last year to the end of the summer window.

Of the 12 we brought in Shaw, Orhoghide, and Scales were projects. Giakoumakis and McCarthy have barely been fit. Abada, Kyogo, Starfelt, Jota, Hart, Juranovic and CCV have contributed well so say 9 first team players and 7 have contributed to replace around 14 who contributed to the team previously.

Granted we have brought in 3 but we are a couple of injuries away from struggling again. For example if Kyogo and Jota didn’t make Monday would you be confident of winning? I definitely am not.

 

* *.

 

I mean Ange you're talking absolute bullshit.. we literally tried to sign a midfielder and he's saying we don't need anymore.

Aye mate, sure..

 

“But as we speak right now there is no other offers or people I have spoken to” is an entirely different statement to “But as we speak right now there are no other discussions or people we have spoken to.”

 

The comments and way he chooses his words are telling ffs calm down

“as it stands”

 

Hope he's being intentionally deceptive.

Need another 2 first team ready players in at least.

 

I never trust Ange's comments about stuff like this or injuries.

I imagine he feels a little burnt from the McGree deal. Cards close to the chest.

I also believe we won't bring in unless Boli, Barkas and/or Ajeti leaves.

 

I think players leaving is the key part. I doubt we'll bring in another LB until one of our 4 LB's (boli) leaves.

With McGree i suspect he thought at £2-3m it was too good for us not to go for him.

 

Ange: There's no-one else we're talking to, there are no other offers, there's no-one else I'm interested in as we sit here today. But if that changes I will let you know” there is the full comment There will be more no doubt

 

Oh well. It was good while it lasted. Desmond must have just checked his bank account and nearly have a seizure

 

Said it in here the other night I think we are concentrating on some more outs now. We do have a fair size of squad even though it doesn’t feel it. Ange obviously wanted the 3 players from Japan and McGree, we got 3/4 so it’s not bad going. No point in taking the dosh meant for the McGree deal and panic buying someone straight after. Let us scout the right folk and if that means getting no one else this window that’s fine with me, but I do think think we will land atleast one more.

We have the 3 new Bhoys and a host of players coming back from injury. We are in a much stronger position than we have been all season so far now. We will have depth now also. Can’t wait for Monday.

 

I don't think he's talking bullshit. He may well think we don't need another midfielder this window, but the possibility of McGree came up and he would have signed him, because it's a player he knows, even though it's not a position he was originally planning on strengthening further. Now he isn't an option he isn't intending getting someone else for that position just for the sake of it.

He said all along he was intent on getting the players he wanted in early in the window. I was fully expecting the 3 Japanese lads to be it as far as new signings went, maybe Jota and CCV made permanent, but that was it. However if players he thinks we can use become available he may decide to take a punt, even though we aren't actively looking.

Personally I think we need more, I just didn't think it was ever likely to happen.

 

Thats a good point regarding the 3/4 players.

Thats a good point regarding the 3/4 players. Very often under Lennon and Rodgers we ended up with 3/4/5th choice in those positions. In this instance Ange has almost certainly got his first choice.