Celtic fans will be waiting patiently to hear any breaking news on potential arrivals before the end of the window.
In a quiet month so far, Nicolas Kuhn has become the only confirmed arrival to walk through the doors at Parkhead.
Rumours of who could be next for Brendan Rodgers’ men are few and far between as the close of play in the market draws nearer; however, that doesn’t mean that positional targets won’t become more visible the coming days.
At left-back, Celtic face a conundrum heading into their Scottish Premiership clash against Ross County tomorrow after it emerged that Greg Taylor will be out for a ‘few weeks’ with a calf strain.
Liam Scales, Alexandro Bernabei and Mitchel Frame will all be candidates to deputise at left-back against the Staggies; nevertheless, the Scotland international’s absence does throw up more questions surrounding the Hoops’ need for added depth in key areas.
Rodgers will be all too aware of his growing absentee list, which also includes quintet Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Hyeongyu Oh, Marco Tilio and Yang Hyun-jun amid their involvement at the AFC Asian Cup.
Brendan Rodgers offers internal solution to boost depth at Celtic
Despite the Hoops’ need for extra squad depth, Rodgers has now offered a potential solution to help bolster his options at Parkhead.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Ross County, the Irishman hinted that he could look to promote academy players when discussing potential signings between now and the end of the window.
The 51-year-old stated [Celtic FC YouTube]: “I don’t want to be in a rush to just bring in a player; it always has to be the right player.”
He then added: “I’m conscious here. I want to be here for a period of time as long as, of course, I’m successful, so I also want to create an opportunity for young players to come through here.
“Everyone talks about signings and bringing people in, and I always say that you might have someone within your academy, but you need to have the space for those players to flourish and develop.
“I hope that we can add to the group; I’d be confident that we can, but also, on the same token, I’m someone who wants to develop the talents that are here and continually grow them.”
Celtic should look to offer first-team chances to young stars
There is a balance between not offering young players any opportunities to break through and heaping too much pressure on their shoulders.
Celtic have the means to find a happy medium between the two, and on occasion this term, they have given prodigious talent a chance. Last week, both Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly featured in the Scottish Cup against Buckie Thistle, with the former netting his maiden goal for the club.
Rodgers has also offered minutes to 18-year-old full-back Frame on the Champions League stage against Feyenoord this term, showing that there is a pathway from the training pitch at Lennoxtown to involvement at Parkhead with the senior squad.
Some of the most illustrious players in Celtic history have come directly from the Scottish champions’ youth system, and hopefully, more openings can become available for homegrown starlets to make their mark in the future.
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