Bild have reported that Celtic are ready to launch a €5 million bid for Hertha Berlin’s Tjark Ernst.
The German goalkeeper has been heavily linked with the Celts this window and the last week or so has been intense, surrounding the future of the 23-year-old.
The club are needing more fresh blood throughout the squad for next season, with another ‘keeper on the agenda too for Martin O’Neill.
Kasper Schmeichel’s unfortunate injury which halted his playing career at Paradise and the game more generally, has meant a space has opened up for another body to help challenge Viljami Sinisalo and Ross Doohan.
Sinisalo has been a steady performer since stepping into the void that Kasper Schmeichel left behind, when he had to hang up the gloves with a shoulder injury towards the end of the campaign last season.
The Finnish stopper put in an assured and decisive display at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup in March, which clearly boosted his confidence and gave him the springboard to flourish until the end of May.
Whilst that will have been a welcome boost for O’Neill, it is still open to interpretation how he feels about the number one jersey going forward, now that he has been appointed manager again on a permanent basis this time.
Several names have been linked with the club in terms of the goalkeeping situation, with Dinko Horkas and Ernst both connected lately.
Now Bild claim that the Bhoys and Dutch side Feyenoord are readying a €5 million bid for the Bundesliga 2 star, in the hopes of landing the best shot-stopper in the German second division.
This comes amidst another Spanish report that has made a similar claim about Croatian net-minder Horkas, who it is claimed would cost around €7 million.
The support are just desperate now for any signs of life on the transfer front, as a significant and quite substantial rebuild is needed this summer.
Short-cuts are not an option this time for Martin O’Neill, who harbours ambitions of competing on the European stage once again, just like he did earlier in the Millennium at Celtic Park.
Paul Gillespie
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1 Comment
We already know from the January window, that MoN is looking for more competition, for starting positions within our line-up?
Didn’t really happen, with the only real competition within our starting line-up, was between Tierney and Saracchi at LB?
Something, I still believe that MoN will want to address during this window especially imo?
So can understand the need for another keeper, especially if Doohan is going to be regarded as a 3rd choice keeper?
It still doesn’t entirely mean that we are looking for a definite no1 keeper, but with such a hefty fee involved for the position, something we haven’t done in over 5 years?
Would suggest that real competition is going to be created for the no1 Jersey, with a view of having the position addressed for the longer term in mind also imo?
Not a strategy that I could complain about, taken by MoN, especially with so many players getting to comfortable in there starting positions within our team imo?
Was badly on show last season, and only really got resolved for the title run in?
Which gained the consistency in the results achieved, but still left question marks upon the performance levels all the same imo?
Which meant MoN was massively reduced in player numbers, and reduced to trying to get the best from what he had available, which he managed to achieve in the end thankfully.
I don’t believe MoN, will want the same in place for this coming season. And the rumours surrounding the keeper position is possibly the best indication that won’t be the case for ourselves imo?
There is always going to be quality gaps within our squad, due to the homegrown quota requirements in operation, with forming a 25man European squad?
But we still have to try and reduce that quality factor involved, throughout the squad building process, and making better competition within the starting line-up, is potentially the best way of going about it imo?
Might involve a harder process to address, especially with the time factors involved?
But do believe in the potential strategy that MoN is potentially looking at, and one that should be in place for ourselves?
Weather that’s achieved is a totally different matter, but the keeper position is possibly the best indication of the intentions of MoN imo?