Celtic’s summer transfer window could have been better, to say the least.
For Brendan Rodgers, the goal was always to make the squad better than it was prior to the transfer window – but it is hard to argue that this ended up being the case.
Benjamin Nygren arrived in early June and has already made an impact on the first team, playing both on the right wing and in midfield.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha also finally joined the club after a pursuit which lasted over a year, but this did not happen until the final week of the window. Balikwisha’s presence could well have made an impact in the Champions League play-off match against Kairat Almaty, which ended in defeat.
However, it is a window which will likely be equally remembered for what it did not bring, as much as what it did. Here are five players who were reported to be targets for Celtic, but ended up playing their football elsewhere.
Celtic summer transfer targets who now play for other clubs
David Strelec – Middlesbrough
David Strelec was rumoured to be of interest to the club in previous transfer windows, but it felt as though this might be the one.
A left-footed striker with an impressive record for Slovan Bratislava and several caps for his country, Strelec’s father was vocal about Celtic’s interest – and his son’s willingness to get the deal done.
However, despite the rumours persisting, it has now been said that Celtic pulled out of the race for Strelec before he completed his move to the English Championship, where last season’s Celtic strikers, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah, will both be playing.
- READ MORE: Chris Sutton slams Joe Hart for ‘excuse’ about Celtic board after transfer window shambles
Isak Jansson – OGC Nice
Shortly after the sale of Nicolas Kuhn to Como, Celtic were reported to be going back to Rapid Vienna for his replacement.
Pacey Swedish winger Isak Jansson was reportedly scouted by the club after racking up seven goals for the Austrian side last campaign. However, the Hoops were not alone in their interest in the forward, who had previously played for Spain.
In the end, the French side OGC Nice won the race for Jansson. He has started three times for his new club in Ligue 1, as well as playing in their Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica.
Veljko Milosavljevic – Bournemouth
A link from early on in the window, teenage Serbian defender Veljko Milosavljevic was reported by Stephen McGowan to be a player Celtic were ‘very interested’ in.
Then, out of nowhere on deadline day, it was announced that the defender had completed a £13 million switch to Bournemouth. If he turns out to be half as talented as Dean Huijsen or Iliya Zabarnyi, Celtic have missed out on a gem.
Jakob Breum – Go Ahead Eagles
A player who Celtic notoriously failed to match the valuation of was Jakob Breum. Capable of playing out wide and in midfield, the Danish youth international was said to be keen on the move to Glasgow, but the clubs could not reach an agreement.
In the end, Breum decided to stay with Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie. The club won last season’s national cup in the Netherlands, allowing them to play in this season’s Europa League – just as Celtic are.
Don’t be surprised if the Hoops go back in for him in the future, as they have done with other targets – though given Breum’s impressive ability for a 21-year-old, they could be leaving it too late.
Jamie Vardy – Cremonese
For much of the window, Vardy to Celtic seemed to largely be a baseless rumour – however, once we reached August, it was revealed that the Leicester icon was supposedly desperate to link up with Brendan Rodgers again.
The link polarised Celtic fans. On one hand, he is no spring chicken at 38, but on the other, this is a hard-working goalscorer with nine goals in the Premier League last season.
Despite Vardy’s keenness on the move, it seems that no offer was forthcoming. He now embarks on a fascinating new chapter in Serie A, where he links up with another man linked with Celtic in Jeremy Sarmiento.
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