We are 13 days into Celtic’s January transfer window and it’s fair to say it’s been a quiet month so far.
There has been a smattering of loan deals and exits for fringe players but no one has yet arrived to add the quality to Brendan Rodgers’ squad that everyone, including the manager, wants.
Nicolas Kuhn looks the closest to arriving with multiple reports indicating that the Bhoys are on the brink of doing business with Rapid Vienna for the winger’s services.
However, more needs to be done before the end of the month and former striker Chris Sutton has been discussing what kind of player he wants to see arriving in Glasgow.
Chris Sutton on Celtic transfer window
The pundit said [Daily Record, 13/01 print edition]: “There are areas which are absolute priorities. Greg Taylor is having to carry the entire load on his shoulders at left-back because Alexandro Bernabei isn’t good enough to replace him.
“That position is a must. That’s no slight on Taylor, who keeps doing the job, but he needs to be properly backed up and upgraded if possible, especially with the Champions League in mind. I’d also wonder if Rodgers might look to the opposite side and wonder if Alistair Johnston offers enough in the final third for a modern-day full-back.
“Striker is the big one. I don’t actually think Oh Hyeon-gyu is too bad and in many ways he’s ideal because he’s young and accepts that playing second fiddle to Kyogo is his role in the squad. That’s fine with an Oh. But go up the grades to the proven hitman of genuine quality and how do you convince one to spend most of his life on the bench?
“For example, people have spoken about Lawrence Shankland. Money apart, why would he leave Hearts to sit with the subs and ruin his chances of making Euro 2024? Look at Giorgos Giakoumakis. No matter how many goals he scored at Celtic, he wasn’t shifting Kyogo out the side.
“It’s the job of Rodgers, Mark Lawwell and the recruitment team to find the answer.”
Thankfully, recent reports have suggested that left-back and striker signings are on the cards once the Kuhn deal is complete.
However, Celtic fans will be sceptical until they see quality players arriving. It felt like we were always waiting in the summer window and the longer the month drags on without tangible moves, the more questions will be asked about the club’s intent to deliver what the manager needs.
In other news, Smiles, new introductions and beep tests as Celtic make Friday return to training.
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