With Celtic already adding two names to the squad this summer (three if you count Tomoki Iwata), the club are, seemingly, still looking to add more bodies as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen for the season ahead.
The club have been linked to a variety of names so far but are temporary loan deals for the likes of Kieran Tierney and Donny van de Beek really the way to go?
No doubt they would add quality to the side but I would rather we focus on adding permanent additions rather than adding what I would call sticking plasters to problem positions.
But there are three areas of the team that Celtic must add to before the transfer window closes this summer. A striker, a goalkeeper and another centre-back should be top of the list. Not just as backup options, but as genuine contenders for a first-team slot.
The striker is a no-brainer. Celtic simply cannot go into the new season with just Kyogo Furuhashi and Hyeongyu Oh as their only two recognised frontmen. Yes, we still have Albian Ajeti but as I explained earlier, we can all agree that his Celtic career looks to be over.
A new goalkeeper has already been discussed on this site. 67 Hail Hail told how Brendan Rodgers is looking to add another safe pair of hands to his squad and I believe this is the right thing to do.
Not because I have no faith in Joe Hart, because I do. I just feel that the backup options we have in Benji Seigrist and Scott Bain are not quite good enough. To be fair to Seigrist, we haven’t seen enough of him due to injury, but I still think that there are better out there for us.
But not only does the goalkeeper need to be a good backup, he must also be good enough to challenge and eventually take over from Hart. A succession plan for the No1 spot is needed and, hopefully, Rodgers is on that.
A centre-back is on the list as last season showed that Yuki Kobayashi may not be the answer. He looked out of sorts against Rangers in the last Glasgow Derby of the season which then saw Tomoki Iwata be preferred for that role for the remainder of the season.
This short-term fix is not the way to go. Rodgers must be looking at ensuring that should anything happen to Cameron Carter-Vickers or Carl Starfelt, he has a player ready-made to step in for either of them.
Of course, that then represents a challenge in itself. Any defender approached by Celtic will know that they will have to bide their time on the sidelines and wait for their opportunity. Starfelt and CCV have both been superb for us over the last two seasons.
It would have to take a player of real quality, and confidence, to dislodge either of the pair. And there are not many players like that who would be willing to accept playing second fiddle on the sidelines.
Whoever Celtic decides to sign this summer, it must be with a view to strengthening what we already have at the club. How else is the club meant to progress in Europe?
In other news, Conor Hazard pens heartfelt farewell message after Celtic exit
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