Brendan Rodgers has been discussing the acquisition of Viljami Sinisalo after he became Celtic’s first signing of the transfer window earlier this week.
The Scottish champions have added two goalkeepers to the squad to fill the hole left by Joe Hart’s retirement. Kasper Schmeichel has also arrived to provide immediate quality and experience.
The Dane has signed a one-year deal with the option of a second, while Sinisalo has put pen to paper on a five-year contract as Celtic invest in his long-term future.
The arrivals signify that the Bhoys are looking to put in place a succession plan for the position. The hope is that Sinisalo progresses as back-up behind the scenes and eventually pushes for a starting spot.
Rodgers has now confirmed this approach, also stating that he believes Sinisalo’s transfer is something of a coup for the club.
Brendan Rodgers on Viljami Sinisalo joining Celtic
Speaking to Celtic TV this weekend, the Bhoys boss said: “What we’ve looked to do is bring someone in with real experience and then we’ve looked to tap into emerging talent. Vil is one of those players.
“He played for Finland against Scotland last season, he’s been someone who’s on the radar of our scouting team.
“To be able to convince him to come here from Aston Villa, a club itself on the up and in the Champions League – it was a great coup for us.
“We’ll develop him and hopefully he can go on to really challenge for that first-team spot.”
Sinisalo can learn a lot from Schmeichel
The Finnish international will learn a lot from his new teammate. Schmeichel has vast experience of elite football and will be full of lessons for his deputy.
Sinisalo will be eager to absorb that knowledge too. He once named Schmeichel as his footballing idol so there should be great harmony within that goalkeeping unit.
Given that Sinisalo arrived at Celtic for a fee of around £1m, there’s little risk on the club’s part here.
Goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods and Brendan Rodgers can get a good look at the talent and help him slowly acclimatise to the pressures of Celtic.
It’s smart business from the footballing department and hopefully brings stability to a difficult position for years to come.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
