Brendan Rodgers watched his men completely dominate St Mirren on Wednesday, just days after thumping Rangers in the Glasgow derby
For weeks, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has talked about adding talent to the roster and taking the team to the next level.
Of course, all of this was highlighted even more when the squad suffered a troubling run of back-to-back defeats.
But, with the January transfer window open and ready for service, things are looking much better and the waters are considerably calmer.
Celtic will be very busy, with both incomings and outgoings predicted; the only question is how much action the powers that be will be involved in.
After the win against St Mirren, John Hartson sent an enthusiastic message on Twitter about how many people might be walking through the door this month.
In the January transfer window, Celtic
“Another good win for the Hoops,” Hartson added. “It appeared to be a very comfortable night.”
“BR (Brendan Rodgers) talked a lot about adding quality to the group. They have to have at least three on their radar.”
What areas should be prioritized?
This is the multi-million dollar question. Is he a striker? A central defender? Or perhaps someone to come in at midfield?
Rodgers has less of a headache now that Kyogo Furuhashi has agreed to stay after being left out of Japan’s Asian Cup roster.
And, while another forward player could be brought in, would he be able to dethrone Kyogo’s class?
Many would have suggested midfield, possibly a number six could be considered a few of weeks ago, but with Reo Hatate returning from injury, Callum McGregor an ever-present, Matt O’Riley the greatest player in Scotland, and Paulo Bernardo now starting to prove his worth.
Then this isn’t a source of concern like it was a while ago.
In terms of centre-backs, a lot of money was spent in this area over the summer, but it’s Liam Scales who is showing how it’s done.
Gustaf Lagerbielke’s time at the club may be up, but Maik Nawrocki has shown a lot of promise recently and deserves more chances.
In either case, established talent and players who would immediately break into the starting XI must be brought in.
Celtic are currently ‘considering’ a bid for a Rangers-linked player, with Everton, Middlesbrough, and others.
Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, and Burnley are among the clubs said to be interested in the striker
The January transfer market is already open, and Celtic and Rangers supporters are eager to see what business their clubs will conduct at this early stage.
Celtic are reportedly ‘seeking to make a bid’ for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland, who has 18 goals this season and has been frequently linked with a move to Ibrox. Rodgers is thought to be a fan of the 28-year-old, and the club is now ‘considering’ a January bid.
However, there looks to be more to the story, and a number of clubs from across the border are thought to be considering their own bids, which is logical given the Scotland international’s goal scoring prowess this season. The outlet names seven clubs from both the English Premier League and the EFL Championship.
They include Sean Dyche’s Everton and Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace, as well as other Premier League clubs Burnley and Sheffield United. Southampton, Middlesbrough, and Hull City are rumored to be interested from the English second division.
Interestingly, the same article claims that Rangers‘were’ interested in signing Shankland, but that their signing of Fabio Silva is considered as an alternative to the Hearts captain.
Several reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Ibrox club is still interested in Shankland, though a summer deal is believed to be more likely at this point – providing he is still available.
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