Celtic’s transfer business in January has come under a lot of scrutiny over the past few days.
Celtic fans were split on how they saw the January window with many fuming at the club’s inactivity after the Bhoys signed Jota and Jeffrey Schlupp.
With just two additions compared to Celtic allowing seven players to leave, including Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes, many supporters were left perplexed at heading into the final part of the season with just two recognised first-team strikers.
However, Michael Stewart has a different take on Celtic’s January business as he urges the fans to ‘look at the bigger picture.
Michael Stewart tells Celtic fans to ‘look at the bigger picture’
Stewart told BBC Radio Scotland, “I’ve heard a lot of that in terms of [Celtic being] weaker as well. There’s no question when you lose Kyogo and you’ve not replaced him that there is a gap there.
“But when you look at the bigger picture, Celtic are potentially 13 points ahead in the league domestically, they’ve got the Scottish Cup to come, or they’re in the midst of that at the moment.
“They’ve obviously got the League Cup in the bag already, and Bayern Munich’s a huge, huge tie. So you’re weighing up in terms of the second half of the season here, I think that they’ve got more than enough to go and do what they would look to be doing domestically.
“The question is, had they been able to sign one of their targets up top would it have made a material difference to a Bayern Munich tie?
“Now, we don’t know. I mean, it’s an imponderable. You never really know. But you can bet your bottom dollar that come this summer, they’re going to be looking to replace Kyogo, and they’ll have time to do that.”
Michael Stewart ‘genuinely’ believes that Celtic will be ‘stronger’ in the summer
Looking ahead to the summer, the BBC pundit said that whilst he understood the Celtic fans’ frustrations, Stewart said he is no doubt Kyogo’s replacement will be found in the next transfer window.
“With Jota in the door,” continued Stewart, “Kyogo’s 30-year-old, and I know he’s got a good few years ahead of him as well, but Jota is 25.
“And I know it’s not a like-for-like, but I do genuinely believe that once they’ve replaced Kyogo as a striker, I think Celtic have got a stronger squad.
“And look at Kieran Tierney potentially coming in the summer. Look at the business that has been done by Celtic now in comparison to 18 months ago when they brought in a plethora of players, and none of them, really, have had an impact.
“Now you’re looking at guys that are coming in the door who are going to be first-team starters. The transfer business as much as it’s disappointing for Celtic as a club that they didn’t get a marquee replacement for Kyogo, I think over the piece, you can see the improvement has been made on that side of the club.”
Celtic have plenty of money to spend in the summer window. The Bhoys’ Champions League earnings outstrip that of many clubs even in England.
With Celtic predicted to reap record revenues this season, Brendan Rodgers should be handed a healthy chunk of change to go and get whatever player he likes to help push the club forward and into the Champions League group stages again next season.
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