Manager Brendan Rodgers and Celtic are now well into the second half of January and we are edging towards transfer window deadline day, and so far the only new arrival is Rapid Vienna winger Nikolas Kuhn – however, if the rumour mill is to be believed, we could well be in for a very busy end to the season.
Every Hoops fan is aware of the almost endless speculation about players potentially coming in, and following on from the arrival of 24 year old German Kuhn, the strong educated guess is that our gaffer is very keen to bring in a more physically minded striker and left back, and on the latter front we have been strongly linked with Liverpool’s 21 year old Owen Beck, who spent the first half of the year at Dundee where he impressed, until being recalled by his parent club as they were hit by injuries.
But there are also quite a few claims that we could see at least six departures before we tick into February. Casinos.com guide for new casino sites probably provides more surety than even the best guesses on what the remainder of the month may hold.
Sky Sports have recently claimed that bosses at Parkhead are extremely open for permanent deals to be struck with other clubs for Gustaf Lagerbielke, Alexandro Bernabei, James McCarthy and Rocco Vata.
They are also not alone in suggesting that we are open to loan offers for both 23 year old Yuki Kobayashi and 22 year old Marco Tilio, as we look to get far great game time experience under their belts as they continue their own development.
23 year old Lagerbielke only moved to Glasgow during the last summer transfer window, after we agreed a £3 million deal with Elfsborg. His opening spell in Scotland has not been an overly great success though and to date, he has only made six starting appearances, with a further three showings from the substitutes bench. Under Rodgers, he is clearly well down the centre half pecking order, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki, Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh.
As fans will know, as we were heading into the transfer window and the New Year, the two capped Swedish international featured very heavily on the rumour mill when it came to a move away, and one of the most popular fresh destinations appeared to be Italy’s Serie A – but depending on what reports you have read in more recent days, any potential transfer to Europe may not now be as close as originally thought. Although previously linked with possible moves to Genoa and Leece, Hellas Verona are now a new name in the frame
With Greg Taylor impressing both former manager Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers and effectively more than making himself first choice for the left full back position, 23 year old Argentine Bernabei has massively struggled for more regular and consistent game time himself, and many supporters will not be surprised to see 33 year old McCarthy listed again, as most probably expected the former Everton and Crystal Palace midfielder to have moved on last summer, especially given the reports at the time about a potential contract compromise to help grease a move through.
Speaking last August, Rodgers went on record explaining the situation.
“Sadly for James, a few injuries and a few niggles have curtailed his time here, so he will be looking to move on. I think there has been interest, and I know that his agent has been talking to the club to see if we can find a compromise for him.”
Serie A has also been offered up as a potential end destination for teenager Vata, with Bologna and Como the most often linked on the rumour mill. The homegrown Academy graduate has failed to make much a dent in terms of a breakthrough, and he could either leave on a permanent deal before the end of the month, or simply sign a pre contract agreement ahead of a move next summer. If the latter proves to be the option chosen, Celtic would then be entitled to training compensation for his development so far.
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