Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has plenty of experience in the transfer market and will know how to deal with a busy deadline day at Parkhead.
The Irishman is believed to be close to adding Norwich City striker Adam Idah on loan for the remainder of the campaign, with confirmation of his arrival expected imminently.
Born in Cork, the 22-year-old will offer Rodgers an alternative option in the forward areas alongside Kyogo Furuhashi and Hyeongyu Oh to utilise during his side’s Scottish Premiership title hunt.
In what will be their final act of the window, Celtic are also keen to bring a left-back to the club amid Greg Taylor’s recent injury.
Alexandro Bernabei turned in an erratic performance against Ross County last weekend. With a trip to Pittodrie coming up, acquiring some cover on the left-hand side of the defence would make sense for the Bhoys.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa and Wolverhampton Wanderers man Hugo Bueno have both been mentioned as potential options, according to reports.
Brendan Rodgers discusses loan signings at Celtic
Loan deals have always been part and parcel of Celtic’s transfer framework in the modern day; however, they seemed to deviate under previous manager Ange Postecoglou, who was a fan of having an option-to-buy clause in most agreements.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are probably the two most notable examples of this; nonetheless, players such as Moritz Jenz also had a similar agreement in place, which, in practice, protects the Hoops’ chances of being able to secure an individual permanently if they perform well at Parkhead.
In contrast, Rodgers has taken a slightly different view in a recent interview, indicating that temporary deals without a purchase option can sometimes be a necessary evil to bolster his squad.
The 51-year-old stated: [Daily Record] “Ideally you want to have players who you know are going to be here for a few seasons to grow and develop. But there always has to be a balance between both loan players and permanent signings. Permanent signings aren’t always possible.”
He then added: “Having had the experience here before there’s always going to be that revolving door. You’ll always have that core of players who you want to keep here but if you look at the movement of squads here over two-to-three-year periods, that’s always going to happen. In the modern game you have to be able to adapt to that.”
Celtic’s use of the loan market can be a double-edged sword
It should go without saying, but the loan market can sometimes guarantee a calibre of player that is neither available nor affordable permanently.
There are obvious positives to this type of transfer in the right circumstances, which can also prove to be a financially advantageous way of adding quality while not shelling out large sums on new recruits.
Conversely, Celtic can’t afford to be caught in the trap of a short-term signing becoming a key player at Parkhead and then leaving once their loan deal expires.
Being unable to retain important first-team members isn’t good for squad building. At the same time, it also prevents Rodgers and company from profiting on their talent in the future, evidencing why the practice should only be carried out sparingly.
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