Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has insisted that the Hoops’ preparation for the January transfer window is well underway as they eye new recruits.
The 57-year-old has enjoyed success in the transfer market, rebuilding this squad and stamping his own identity over the past 18 months.
The January window proved to be a fantastic one for Celtic last year, with the additions of players such as Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda. And Postecoglou appears to be eyeing up a similar window this winter.
When it comes to recruitment, there will be a new face involved, this time around, in Celtic dealings this January after the appointment of Mark Lawwell in the summer.
The former Socceroos boss has recently been talking up Lawwell’s credentials as the Celtic recruitment team looks to all corners of the world for new additions.
Postecoglou also opened up on the Hoops transfer strategy, stating that the club are looking to conduct similar business to their last January transfer window.
He said [Daily Record]: “It was really beneficial for us last year to do our business early in January. That helped us in the back half of the season. We’re going to have to do something similar this January. We are well underway with our planning.
“Our strategy is already in place, and hopefully, it all comes together. We’re looking everywhere in terms of our recruitment.
“Mark Lawwell is in the building now, and the reason I brought him in is that he knows what I am looking for. The brief is to scour the world for that.
“The Japanese and Asian market is one I’m really familiar with, and I still think there is value there for players, and I know how they would fit into what we do. We signed Alexandro Bernabei from Argentina, so South America is also an area we are looking at.
“With Mark now working and knowing how we do things, we know exactly what we’re looking for. There are some parameters financially we have to work with, but the key criteria is the kind of characters they are and how they conduct themselves. Whether they are from Europe, Asia, South America or Africa, we factor that into any player we bring in.”
January transfer window could be a key focus for not only this season but also next.
Although Ange Postecoglou has plenty of options across the board within his squad, this January transfer window could prove to be a crucial period for not only this season but also next.
With several Celtic stars already being linked with big moves across Europe, and some of those players having the opportunity to impress at the World Cup, we could see more clubs circling if they put in a strong display at next month’s tournament.
You would imagine Postecoglou and his recruitment team are well aware of that and will have one eye on the present and also the future.
We have already seen the major positives of the Celtic’s managers’ January business, particularly with the signings of Hatate and O’Riley.
Both players hit the ground running at Parkhead, and we are now seeing the very best of them in the middle of the park.
So, it seems that plans are already in place to find the new Reo Hatate or Matt O’Riley in the transfer market over the coming months as Ange Postecoglou’s extensive Celtic rebuild continues.
In other news, Former Celtic hero Shunsuke Nakamura set to retire after incredible 26-year career.
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