A big summer awaits Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.
Even though Celtic are heading towards a Treble, it doesn’t mean that you rest on your laurels, but continue to surge forward, refresh and improve the squad.
During the January transfer window, there was more movement than Celtic would have wanted, with Kyogo Furuhashi leaving and not being replaced.
The return of Jota was brilliant to see, but Alex Valle’s loan spell was also cut short after joining from Barcelona and Jeffrey Schlupp arrived from the other direction.
Not only do a few spaces need to be filled for next season, but the work from the recruitment team needs to be done pretty quickly because Celtic have to qualify for the Champions League.
In some cases, the club can help itself because the answer is right in front of them, and that is the case with the left-back spot.
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Jeffrey Schlupp told to secure permanent transfer at ‘massive club’ Celtic
Kieran Tierney will return to Celtic next season when his Arsenal contract expires in the summer, but given his injury record many aren’t sure as to the volume of games he will be able to play.
That’s why Marvin Bartley feels it’s even more important that the club secure the talents of Schlupp for next season.
Bartley also feels that Rodgers will want to make the move permanent and he cannot see how finances will be an issue, as he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.
“I think it’s a no brainer,” said Bartley on Celtic signing Schlupp. “He nearly scored against Hibernian, cutting onto his right foot and it was just wide of the post.
“I think he will only get better as well. He hasn’t played that much football this season. Anyone will tell you, who has been a professional footballer, it normally takes you 10-15 games to get yourself going.
“I think he is probably going to peak as the season comes to an end this season. I think Brendan will want to make it a permanent. I think now he has come up and has seen Celtic football club, he will want to make it a permanent. I don’t think finances will be a problem
“With Kieran Tierney coming in, if you are just speaking about his quality, Schlupp might say, ‘I don’t want to sit behind him for the whole season’, but there is that massive question mark over how many games he can play, so I think, for all parties, it makes perfect sense.
“If he has had that career he has had and he has been sensible with his money, to come up to Celtic, he will never play for a club as big as that. The option of winning things as a footballer. There is nothing better than that.
“He will see it this season when they go on to win the league and possibly the Scottish Cup. It will wet his appetite. He is 33. For me, it’s not about money. It’s about winning things and being at a massive club and he has all those things at Celtic.”
Other options on the table for Schlupp
The most impressive part of what Schlupp is doing is that he came to Celtic having played less than 100 minutes for Crystal Palace this term.
Yet, the 32-year-old is putting up performances like he has been at the club from the start of the campaign.
Schlupp’s performance in Munich is a prime example and Bartley feels that will result in other parties also wanting to sign the versatile star.
“He will definitely have options in the English Championship,” added Bartley. “If not teams lower down in the Premier League than Crystal Palace.
“Probably teams coming up as well, if Burnley came up, they would try to sign him. I don’t think finances will be a problem for him.”
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