CELTIC are set to make it SEVEN summer signings – with the arrival of Manchester City’s Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
The 19-year-old centre-back is in Glasgow to finalise a loan move to Celtic with Brendan Rodgers keen to add to his defensive ranks.
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The Northern Irishman is also desperate to land another winger to replace Nicolas Kuhn as well.
But can we expect more movement in other areas of the pitch before the window closes?
Could Rodgers dive back into the market for another left-back or striker?
SunSport’s Roger Hannah takes a look at all the latest transfer news coming in and going out of Parkhead.
Will there be exits to come as Jahmai Simpson-Pusey joins?
It is a position that Celtic have looked at for a period of time. Nawrocki is gone, Lagerbielke gone.
There’s real interest from Plymouth on Stephen Welsh.
You do wonder if Dean Murray might go out on loan to a Premiership team this season, he was at Queen‘s Park last season.
That leaves you Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales, and now Simpson-Pusey.
Brendan Rodgers spoke in the past about wanting four senior center-backs.
You’ve always got the scope of if Murray or Welsh leave, they can come back in January.
I would think he would go with these four center halves.
The interesting thing for me will be which one of them gets the nod alongside Cameron Carter Vickers.
Could Celtic sign Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on a permanent deal?
I haven’t seen the details of that. I noticed Rangers announced Mikey Moore from Tottenham and there’s no option or obligation in that deal.
It’s a straight season long loan. If Man City don’t want an option or an obligation in the deal, there won’t be one.
It’s interesting because I think the lad’s chosen Celtic, he had interest from Strasbourg.
I know English Championship teams were in the mix as well, and it’s a lad himself who has wanted to come here.
I don’t know what conversations he’s had with Brendan or with the club, but he believes this is the best stepping stone if you like, and his career to get regular first team football.
He’ll hope that will extend to the Champions League as well as domestic football and you see it’s a position that Rogers has been looking to strengthen.
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Will Celtic sign another left-back?
I haven’t seen the details of that. I noticed Rangers announced Mikey Moore from Tottenham and there’s noption or obligation in that deal.
It’s a straight season long loan.
If Man City don’t want an option or an obligation in the deal, there won’t be one.
It’s interesting because I think the lad’s chosen Celtic, he had interest from Strasbourg.
I know English championship teams were in the mix as well, and it’s a lad himself who has wanted to come here.
I don’t know what conversations he’s had with Brendan or with the club, but he believes this is the best stepping stone if you like, and his career to get regular first team football.
He’ll hope that will extend to the Champions League as well as domestic football and you see it’s a position that Rogers has been looking to strengthen.
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Do they need another midfielder too?
Some would say not now that Nygren has come in.
I thought just in terms of quantity they were probably a body short. A few have gone out the last couple of years and Thiago Holm is away, Kwon has left for France.
If Nygren’s going to go in as a sort of advanced number 8 then that probably negates the requirement for another midfielder.
But then obviously if they’re struggling with wingers, Nygren that may have to go out there.
It’ll be really interesting to see the lineup against St Mirren because you can never read too much into selections in preseason games.
Celtic have had seven friendlies in four different countries, a lot of football into the legs of these lads. They’ll be ready for Saint Mirren on Sunday.
What’ll be fascinating is seeing where Nygren plays.
Jakob Breum latest
There did seem to be a huge discrepancy between Celtic’s valuation of the lad and the Go-Ahead Eagles’ valuation. They also seem to be holding over £5million for Oliver Antman.
So if they get £10million off Celtic and Rangers, they’ll be doing very, very well.
I think Celtic have got options there, you know, they’ve looked at Broome.
They’ve looked at Balikwisha of Antwerp and Sondre Orjasaeter at Sasborg in Norway.
There are a lot of possibilities there, but they do need wide players.Nicolas Kuhn has gone for a lot of money, Jota is injured until the end of the year.
Yang’s there, Forrest’s there, but with the best will in the world, they were backups last season.
You can’t imagine Brendan Rodger wants to go into this season with them as first picks.
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You just never know what will happen.
He started for Antwerp last Friday night when the Belgian League kicked off against the champions USG.
He has been one that Celtic have looked at for a long time, but you’re never too sure how far up the wish list he is.
He could be top of the shortlist or he’s just a backup if they don’t get Breum or someone else.
Can we expect another striker to join?
You know, if Maeda starts on the left to ease the problems in wide areas, I would expect Adam Idah to start through the middle.
He did score 20 goals last season.
He’s already said he’s got ambitions of scoring more this season.
I would imagine he would be the first to get a shot. Yamada is there, Johnny Kenny‘s still there despite the ongoing interest from Bolton.
Young Callum Osmand came up from Fulham.
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So there are numbers there, there’s quantity in that striker position.
But you know, Brendan would always say, you want a wee bit more quality and I go back to what he said late last season that it’s always easier for Celtic to get a top class winger than it is to get a top class striker.
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