Celtic are closing in on the £2m deal to sign Stefan Johansen.
Talks have continued with the players representatives and Stromsgodset to bring the midfielder to Celtic during the transfer window.
Celtic return from Turkey today with Neil Lennon hoping to conclude a couple of deals long before the window closes on January 31.
Tom Rogic has signed for Vegalta Sendai of Japan on loan with decisions expected soon over Georgios Samaras and Joe Ledley with the Welshman the most likely to sign a new deal.
Speaking after watching Celtic lose on penalties to Galatasaray the Celtic boss said: “We’ve been in talks with Johansen’s club and representatives and I hope we can get something sorted in the next few days.
“I can’t really put a time on that as I haven’t spoken to Peter Lawwell since Friday, but we are well down the line on that one.”
Lennon is anticipating a busy time with a number of Celtic players in demand with Dylan McGeoch likely to move out after failing to make the breakthrough this season.
The success of Callum McGregor on loan at Notts County has attracted interest from other English sides with Celtic keen to get players out involved in regular top team football.
Yesterday’s display against Galatasaray gave the Celtic support a real tonic with Lennon pleased to see so many of his younger players take the chance to impress in public.
Darnell Fisher was the only member of the defence to have played first team football this season with Eoghan O’Connell confirming his development alongside the welcome return from injury of Marcus Fraser who lasted 63 minutes before being replaced by Joe Chalmers.
With the quality of the young players at Celtic Park it’s highly unlikely that any moves will be made for the highly rated youngsters at Dundee United.
Has to be said the young fellahs done us proud yesterday,very pleasantly suprised HH
A good performance by celtic youth played with pace.I would prefer to see some of these bhoys promoted instead of the cheap buys from abroad.
You said give them a change We know what they can do HailHail JMJ
It’s all very well giving youth a chance & i would like us to do this, however they also have to be good enough!
Proud of the hoops in turkey, particularly delighted to see Balde and Pukki scoring which hopefully gives the the boost they need for the second half the season.
Have to say though my heart always sinks when I hear we are sending a young talent out on loan as its usually the beginning of the end for them I feel. When was the last time we sent someone out and loan and they came back and made a success of themselves with us?
Paul McGowan? Dylan McGeough? Rocco Quinn? Paul slane? James keatings? The list of home grown hopefuls sent out on loan, who never make an impact with us goes on… (…Tony Watt?!!)
James Forrest, Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney. Outside of those 3 I’m struggling to think of another player who came through the ranks and made a name for themselves in our first team. Anyone else long for a homegrown hero?
Hail Hail
Mark,
As good as the young Hoops were, a friendly tournament is no barometer as
to how the players will develop.
You have to trust the manager to.make
that call.Young players that have left, have
not made their mark on the game.
If we get 750k for McGregor, has loan spell has been successful.As he would find
it difficult to get into our midfield.
As for Johansen, he looks a ready made
replacement for Ledley.
At 23, a good age,he is just making his mark at international level.Good passer,
and has a good shot in him.
I think we will be onto a winner with him.
Norwegian footballers have a good work
ethic, moreso than Finns ( sorry Pukki ).
Now,we need that quality striker, to light
up Celtic Park !!
P.s. Forgot to add *(in the last decade or so) after those 3 who made the first team.
These tournaments r great 4 our youngsters and new bhoys as we can give them first team exp and prove its good buisness. Well done lenny
Mark – John Kennedy should have been it but fate intervened in the shape of a Romanian .
Some others have come through, but for example David Marshall needed more experience and Artur was more what we needed at the time.
Whilst McManus reached a certain level and didn’t progress any further, his performances for Motherwell haven’t been great.
The last one I can think of that did the loan thing and came back an improved player who made our first team was Liam Miller after his spell in Denmark. But of course he headed for the exit the first chance he had and that worked out real good for him.
Simple solution.
Get the young players to put an O at the end of there name to make them sound foreign.
For example
Tonyo watto
Or
Dylano mcgeougho
Haw haw haw
I agree
Haw haw haw
Call me drawkcabo
Drawkcab,
Are you feeling okay ?
I am worried about your sanity.
Or are you still on that Peruvian brandy
from last night ?
teeter,teeter,teeter
Greetings peter.
The peruvian brandy has been confiscated.
Now for a sobering thought.
All of these players might leave in the next week.
Fraser forster
Virgil van dyke
Joe ledley
Georgios Samara’s
Tom rogic
Dylan mcgeough
James Forrest
Haw haw haw
So we need the young team to step up to the mark
Watching the game last night, highlighted the ‘young’ depth we have at Celtic Park! I’m not sure if it’s allowed by sponsors in Scotland, but couldn’t we take the Man U/Arsenal approach to the League Cup and only play the reserves (or whatever they’re called now)? Fans would accept it, I believe, plus it will show us how the guys are developing, playing ‘bigger’ teams? Just a thought!
Top idea, might hinder our treble chances ( wouldn’t bother me ) but giving youngsters first team competitive football is where they’ll learn the most.
Peter
Pukki has been working very hard in matches recently.
Perhaps trying too hard.
This guy is gonnae come good.
If this happens I command you to change your name to Pedro and cycle around the velodrome backwards on a fixed wheel bike.
Haw haw haw
Drawkcab,
Yes,Pukko has been working hard running
away from.the goals.
Are you on something ?
You could give Pukko a job, as your stand-
in driver. He will do alot more running
about them lol.
Seriously , you need a break, as that cab
life is takiing it’s toll.
Either that, or the brandy has got a grip of
you. Big time !!
teeter,teeter,teeter.
Peter
When the pukki get lucky then you get fried chicken Kentucky.
Haw haw haw
drawkcab
Were you left behind in Amsterdam since the Ajax game or something? If so you need to stay out of those cafes mate, a shmoke and a pancake is one thing but you sound like you’ve been gorging yourself on the local brownies and their special variety of mushroom themed teas.
drawkcab,
The only thing that’s fried is your brain.
I don’t blame the police for confiscating your brandy.
It’s a pity they didn’t take your phone,
and I wouldn’t have to.read.your Pukko
nonsense.
Anyway,Joe’s blog is not for this.
Cheers.
keep taking the tablets son,without the brandy,but I enjoy the humour.
Pukki will prove all the doubters wrong.
Just like Jim Melrose and tommy coyne
Did Tommy Coyne prove the doubters wrong? I doubt it…
Tommy coyne was superb
End of.
Haw haw haw.
Trying not to get ahead of myself but this fella looks to be the creative link we desperately need and he’s got goals in him.
I’d like to see the following line up.
Forster
Mathews, Efe, Van Djyk, Izzy
Biton, Brown, Johansen, Mulgrew
Commons, ????????
I’ve still seen nothing from Pukki or Balde that makes me think they will lead us to CL qualification never mind
get a decent total in the league. The ? In my team needs to be a striker who scores goals regularly and LEADS the forward line.
The young team are doing fine but I feel they are still a couple of seasons away from dislodging the established players in the first team. They are the REAL work in progress.
I don’t care if we have to scower the lower leagues as long as we bring in a player who “bosses” the opposition penalty area a la Hartson, Larsson, McDonald, Hooper like.
hail hail
Good points,Jimbo.
I would gladly sell Kayal,Ledley,Samaras
and possibly Stokes.
Defence doing fine.With Lustig adding more strength, when he comes back.
I like the look of your midfield,Jimbo.A
natural wide man like Forest could also
be used ( if he his on his game ).
Boerrigter ? 2M wasted ? I think so.
Pukki ? 2.5M wasted ? I know so.
Balde ? 1.5 M wasted ? Still got a chance.
So, we can’t always rely.on Commons
scoring all.the goals.
I feel we need 2 strikers ( don’t tell lawwell )
We need a partnership up front.A target
man,and a poacher playing off him.
All in all, with the likes of young Henderson getting a chance.The future
looks bright, the future looks GREEN and
WHITE !!
i hope that whoever comes in knows how to play a forward pass biton against thistle split the defence but sammi wouldnt use his left foot joe played a forward pas s to stokes whoscored
How about this
FF
Lustig. VVD. Efe. Izzy
Biton. Brown
Matthews. Youth boy/get new guy
Commons
Get Danny Ings
Then once that new guy Johansen get a few games off the bench or whatever, we change shape of team to a diamond in midfield and put him in the starting XI
Timtim67,
Agree 100% re danny ings.
However, we have no chance of getting
him.Burnley are looking for automatic
promotion.They won’t sell him to anybody.
If we get Johansen, he would normally
walk into the team.But, as it’s the Norwegian close season, he will need a
couple of weeks to get his fitness up.