The January transfer window is getting ominously close.
Wilfried Nancy clearly needs some signings for his Celtic team, but fans are worried at a lack of reported targets.
Mateusz Bogusz, Louis Munteanu and David Watson are among those who have been linked, but none of those targets seem to have got off the ground.
Celtic beat Aberdeen 3-1 on Sunday, giving Nancy a much-needed first win after a disastrous run of four defeats in his first four games.
But the club should be under no illusion that with a title race ongoing, signings are needed, and fast. The Hoops are reportedly back in talks for one player, but he appears to be one for the future.
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Celtic face competition for Vinnie Leonard January transfer
Vinnie Leonard has just completed a full season of senior football, despite being aged just 17.
The central defender has earned rave reviews for his performances in the Irish second tier, and isn’t only getting interest from Glasgow.
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According to the Daily Record, Lyon, Norwich and Genoa are all in the race too, but Celtic have ramped up their bid to sign him.
Due to EU rules, Leonard cannot join Celtic until the age of 18, meaning that any deal in January would see him remain at Dundalk until the end of the season.
The Leinster side, who have just been promoted back to the League of Ireland, reportedly have a six-figure valuation of Leonard.
He is not related to Dylan Leonard, another teenage centre-back to have been linked to Celtic.
What he does have is an impressive full season of senior football under his belt already – but frankly speaking, this isn’t the transfer news that Celtic need right now.
And that’s nothing against Leonard; more just a plea with Celtic to push ahead and improve the first team as quickly as possible.
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Celtic and the Irish market
Dermot Desmond’s stake in Shamrock Rovers is representative of the close attention that Celtic pay to Irish football.
Johnny Kenny and Liam Scales were both brought to the club off the back of impressive seasons in the League of Ireland.
Both Mason Melia and Michael Noonan are also excelling as teenagers across the water, leading to links with Celtic, but the former has agreed a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
But the club’s interest in Noonan and Leonard seems to be serious. It just remains to be seen if the Celts can fend off the competition.
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