Celtic have midfield arrivals on their mind before the deadline as Brendan Rodgers looks to replace Matt O’Riley.
The Denmark international joined Brighton & Hove Albion over the weekend for a fee that will reach £30 million, including add-ons.
Nevertheless, Celtic took control against St Mirren despite missing his presence in the engine room. Paulo Bernardo, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor combined well in Paisley as the visitors cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Truthfully, the reigning Scottish Premiership champions have had to adapt several times over the years after losing key players. Ultimately, it is part of the club’s model to buy moderately and sell for a significant profit.
Attention has now turned to who is set to replace O’Riley. Celtic have recently submitted formal bids for Augsburg’s Arne Engels and LAFC’s versatile star Mateutz Bogusz, so there is movement on that, which is something the club captain has now shared his verdict on.
Callum McGregor’s confidence that Celtic can land reinforcements
Per The Herald, McGregor retains confidence that Celtic will replace the ‘quality’ that O’Riley brought in midfield, citing the ‘trust’ he holds in the hierarchy to get deals done.
He explained, referencing his former teammate and other areas where there have been departures: “When you lose two or three bodies, especially quality ones, then you have to try and replace them with, if not the same quality, players who can help the group.
“I am no different to anyone else. We all want to see the club and the group moving forward. We’ve lost a few so it’s important that we try and replace them.
“But I think we have to trust the people in the positions to do the job. That’s the one thing that the club’s been good at. We all trust each other.”
Celtic get to work on pursuing late arrivals
Celtic fans are acutely aware of the areas that need to be strengthened before the deadline and could be set for some positive news in days to come.
Barcelona’s Alex Valle is set to arrive on loan for a fee of £1.3 million. He could be followed by Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty, who is the subject of a £5 million bid from the Bhoys.
Realistically, there is still time for other names to crop up in the next few days. Clubs are hard at work figuring out the picture of their respective squads; you never know who could become available.
Hopefully, confirmation of some new faces is around the corner. 67 Hail Hail will follow every development between now and the cut-off point.
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