It has been quite the week to be a Celtic supporter so far as the twists and turns of the window take their course.
With Deadline Day in touching distance, Alex Valle joined on loan from Barcelona today to complete the first part of a multi-faceted transfer puzzle.
Augsburg’s Arne Engels and LAFC attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz are also on the Bhoys’ radar. Bids remain live for both, with the former potentially coming in as a landmark signing if Celtic can complete a deal with the Bundesliga outfit for the Belgium Under-21 international.
Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty is in the frame to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ backline. Mikey Johnston may be included in a separate negotiation to sweeten the deal for both parties.
Other names could come to the fore before the cut-off point, which comes a day before Celtic find out their opponents in the Champions League’s new ‘league phase’ format.
If you haven’t calmed down yet amid the significance of the next couple of days, there is also the small matter of the first Glasgow Derby of the season against Rangers on Sunday, which could be a baptism of fire for potential new arrivals.
Celtic’s potential new recruits and the Glasgow Derby
Now, I am acutely aware that all sorts of scenarios could prevent some prospective new arrivals from featuring against Rangers this weekend. Red tape, fitness issues, readiness, you name it.
However, if several players are drafted in, as reports elsewhere suggest, it isn’t a wild notion to believe one or two could at least appear on the substitutes’ bench.
I think it is fair to believe Rodgers will gauge the situation on an individual basis. Ultimately, his squad are performing at a high level; he may not want to tweak too much heading into a match with knock-on implications for the rest of the season.
Nevertheless, he will be targeting late reinforcements to strengthen the first team. Some of the financials mentioned in connection with potential acquisitions give the impression that they aren’t coming to Glasgow to be peripheral figures if that wasn’t obvious.
For now, we need to hope deals are concluded. Only then can we discuss roles for this weekend and later down the line.
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