Three weeks after securing Moussa Dembele from Fulham Brendan Rodgers is still waiting for his second signing.
With the Champions League qualifying campaign well underway more activity was expected to allow the Irishman to make his mark on the squad.
Barring an incredible shock tomorrow night against Lincoln Red Imps Celtic will be involved in the third qualifying round of the Champions League next week giving any new signing very little time to get to know his team-mates and create an impact.
With a first team squad that reaches towards 30 players there is no need for any more bench fillers, quality not quantity is certainly the criteria.
Defence remains a priority with Efe Ambrose’s display last week against Lincoln Red Imps confirming the need to strengthen that area.
Complicating the options is the position of Charlie Mulgrew. Rodgers has spoken fondly of Kolo Toure but you get the feeling that if Mulgrew agreed a new deal that interest in the former Liverpool defender would be dropped.
At 35-years-of-age Toure would need an intensive pre-season campaign to get upto speed suggesting that he’s unlikely to be added to Celtic’s Champions League squad.
As a free agent Toure could have been a Celtic player in plenty of time to be used against Lincoln Red Imps- with each passing day it seems less and less likely that Toure’s next stop will be in Glasgow.
After a short break following Ireland’s Euro 16 campaign Shane Duffy’s future
is again under discussion.
With a year left on his contract Blackburn will be keen to bring in a transfer fee with a move north of the border likely to appeal.
Whether that appeal is stronger than the offers of hard cash available in England remains to be seen with Hull and Swansea closely linked with a move for Duffy.
Having extended his season into the final week of June fitness shouldn’t be an issue for the 24-year-old who has rarely missed a match since joining Blackburn from Everton.
Like the Kolo Toure situation there seems to be little sign of any movement regarding a bid for Scott Sinclair.
During his time alongside Rodgers at Swansea Sinclair enjoyed the best form of his career but like many English based players it seems that the direction of their career plays second fiddle to strength of their bank balance.
Newcastle have been credited with an interest in Sinclair but a move to the north-east seems like another stop off on Sinclair’s stumbling career.
A fee in the region of £3m would be affordable but with James Forrest, Gary Mackay-Steven and Patrick Roberts on the payroll it looks like a move for Sinclair would depend on players moving out or qualification for the group phase of the Champions League.
Stefan Johansen’s proposed move to Galatasaray
seems to have come to a halt with the Turkish side around £1m short of Celtic’s valuation of the midfielder.
After beating Wolfsborg Rodgers talked up the prospect of Johansen being available after injury to face Lincoln Red Imps on Wednesday.
A new Celtic contract would kill the story stone dead but there seems little prospect of those talks starting or progressing.
Unless Galatasaray suddenly decide to up the ante it looks like Johansen’s future won’t be decided until the final days of the transfer window.
Unusually James Forrest’s contract runs out in January
making him available to talk terms with any club at the moment.
Like Johansen there is no sign of contract talks resuming but despite his current status Rodgers introduced Forrest during the defeat to Lincoln Red Imps.
Three years ago Forrest proved to be the match winner as Celtic beat Shakhtar Karagandy to reach the group stage of the Champions League- a repeat looks unlikely with a low key departure more likely than another European spectacular.