With Brendan Rodgers looking for four new faces the transfer rumour mill will be in full flow this week- even if Celtic’s efforts so far have barely got out of second gear.
One signing in June, Moussa Dembele, and one in July, Kolo Toure, has left supporters frustrated as they look for signs of how a Rodgers team will shape up.
After initially moving on half a dozen players the departure gate has also slowed up although a spate of injuries to defenders has partly been responsible for that process.
As the Toure deal proved patience is a virtue with Celtic going about their business slowly to ensure that they get maximum value in the market place.
With 31 trading days left until the window closes Rodgers has sent out a clear signal that he wants to be judged once he has put his own stamp on the team.
The ‘failure’ to sign £13m Joe Allan wasn’t the biggest surprise of the summer but in a switch from recent policy it seems that Celtic are spending more time looking at younger English based talent while also viewing similar prospects from the European market.
CLICK HERE to begin the gallery looking at Celtic’s top five transfer targets.
PADDY’S POWER
With Kolo Toure signed, Eoghan O’Connell and Kristoffer Ajer emerging,Erik Sviachenko, Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata injured it was a surprise to see Paddy McNair linked with a move to Celtic.
Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United will slam the door shut on any emerging talent but Celtic seems an unlikely destination for the young Irish centre half.
When Manchester United send a player out on loan the terms of the deal are such that it is costly to keep an Old Trafford prospect on the sidelines.
It would be a major surprise if Efe Ambrose doesn’t leave Celtic during this transfer window, if McNair arrives it would suggest that Efe won’t be the only departing defender.
SINCLAIR’S REUNION
The transfer saga involving Scott Sinclair seems very similar to the Toure deal although this move has the added complication of involving a club and a transfer fee.
Over the last two days Rodgers and John Kennedy have both spoken about the Aston Villa man which would confirm that there is substance to the story.
Rodgers and Sinclair both go back a long way with the signs all pointing towards another reunion. The prospect of Sinclair and Patrick Roberts is an exciting one for Celtic fans, it looks likely that Rodgers will have the Swansea man in his four man transfer list.
DUFFY DENIED, OR DELAYED?
It has all gone very quiet on the Shane Duffy front. Owen Coyle has denied that an offer has been made while Swansea, Hull City and West Brom have failed to convert interest into a firm bid.
With a season left on his contract the Derryman holds all the aces, the longer nothing happens the greater the likelihood that he will see out his contract at Ewood Park before negotiating his own way out.
Celtic can complete a Bosman move in January but with other targets being watched it’s looking more likely that Duffy won’t be joining Celtic during this window.
AND ANOTHER PATRICK!
With his heavy Chelsea connections it’s natural that Rodgers will be linked with some of the Stamford Bridge loanees.
After a great season with Middlesbrough Patrick Bamford’s career never got off the ground at Crystal Palace while another new regime at Chelsea further reduces his chances of making the breakthrough.
Moving north to the SPFL doesn’t seem like a logical step in his career path but perhaps some TLC from Rodgers can benefit all concerned.
JOHAN FOREIGNER
Knowing the way that Celtic scout players the chances are that work is going on in foreign parts to recruit the next Victor Wanyama or Virgil van Dijk.
Recent experience suggests that deals will go through quickly, surfacing on local media when all that is required is a medical with all of the financial details done and dusted.
While Rodgers has looked carefully through his own contact book for players it’s a certainty that players under 25 in Scandinavia, Belgium and Holland are also being lined up.