Martin O’Neill has revealed that Celtic are dealing with a number of incoming and outgoing transfers.
So far Luis Palma, Stephen Welsh and Hayato Inamura have left the club with no arrivals.
That looks set to change with Camilo Duran undergoing a medical before completing his move from Qarabag.
Last season the Colombian striker scored five goals in 10 Champions League appearances.
Celtic face a Champions League Play Off next month with firepower needed to avoid a repeat of last season’s stalemate and exit to Kairat Almaty.
Duran appears to be the first of a few arrivals in the pipeline.
Alongside that it seems that a few of the top team regulars from recent seasons will be moving on.
Watching O’Neill speaking to the Celtic Player before the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne The Sun reports the Celtic boss saying:
We have a number of players that we are looking at.
We’ve had a number of offers in for players as well too at the same time.
And I’m hoping in the not-too-distant future, and I mean maybe in the next couple of weeks, that we will have some really decent players at the football club to add to the very decent players we have at the football club.
That is an unusually revealing interview with club media.
CELTIC TRANSFER STATE OF PLAY
Transfer intentions are usually kept very vague but in Celtic terms there is quite a lot of detail in those comments.
Last season Celtic turned down bids for Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda.
Almost certainly there will be renewed interest in those players with others such as Alistair Johnston and Ben Nygren also expected to be in demand.
With the SPFL Premiership opener less than four weeks away it looks like Celtic will open the season with a side in transition.
With the Champions League Play Off on August 18/19 and 25/26 O’Neill will be looking to have fresh faces in and settled ahead of those matches.
Shin Yamada scored Celtic’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne. Netting a stoppage time penalty after a Harry Wood penalty in the 87th minute put Shelbourne in front.
Tomorrow morning the squad travels to Faro for a week of intensive training that includes a match against Sporting Lisbon on July 14.
After that there are home friendlies against Middlesbrough and AC Milan.
Slow as sticky shit running off a wall so they are !
“…With the SPFL Premiership opener less than four weeks away…”
At this rate, the much needed ‘squad rebuild’ will consist of 2 new signings ,
but with more first team regulars sold.
…and a number of last-minute, panic loans thrown in? 🙁