Roger Hannah believes Celtic still have a significant amount of work to complete in the transfer market, predicting the Scottish champions will make at least four more signings before the summer window closes.
With the countdown on to the Champions League play-off against LASK Linz, attention has turned to how quickly the club can strengthen, particularly with Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston both heavily linked with exits and Reo Hatate’s future also uncertain.
Speaking on Clyde Superscoreboard, Hannah admitted he had expected Celtic to be further along in their recruitment by this stage.
He said: “I thought they’d have more business done, to be honest.
“No one’s going to be surprised when Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels go.
“Could they have Julian Araujo lined up to replace Alistair Johnston? They look as if they’ve got Mika Baur from Paderborn lined up to replace Arne Engels.
“I would imagine they would [both go], so the key is replacing them.
“They should’ve had a left-back in; I thought Saracchi would come back, to be perfectly honest. It doesn’t look as if that’s going to happen.
“I don’t know who the left-back is going to be. We spoke last week about the potential of Greg Taylor coming back, or whether they’ve got something else up their sleeve.
“But there is work needing to be done, there’s no question about that. I would still expect there’s a chance that Hatate could go as well, he’s on the bench, so he’ll need replaced as well.
“There’s a transfer window open, so Celtic will sign a winger. They always do!
“So there’s a lot of business still to be done. I would expect Celtic to sign at least four more.”
Hannah also addressed Celtic’s ongoing search for attacking reinforcements, pointing to two names who have consistently featured in transfer speculation throughout the summer.
He said: “Haissem Hassan has steadily been linked through the summer.
“There’s talk of Saudi interest in him. As far as Fares Ghedjemis – who also seems to be interesting Rangers – he’s one that they like at Frosinone. Could he come in?
“They need to move quickly. Celtic don’t do things at the pace that some other teams do.
“We’re now down to the final month of the window. I’m saying they need to get four in. Some teams do four deals in a day. Celtic don’t do that.
“So if they’re going for deals for a right-back, left-back, central midfielder, winger, maybe one more… they’re going to have to start moving on them.
“But they don’t seem to want to move on them until somebody moves out.”
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1 Comment
Only 4?
That would still leave ourselves short in forming a complete 25man European squad?
Already expecting AJ, Engels and Hatate to leave, along with Balikwisha to be loaned out, before this window shuts imo?
Therefore, we are potentially looking at
A keeper
2 Full backs, 1 left, 1 right.
2 midfielder
1 wide option
Still would only give us 24 players with 3 B listed players to increase squad depth?
So a potential decision awaits upon whether a place is left open for Jota or even adding another CB to our overall squad?
And 1 of those new additions have to be Scottish in order to fulfill our 8 homegrown requirements within a 25man European squad?
Already resigned to thinking that the 20man SPFL match day squad, this weekend?
Will have to be trusted to get ourselves through the CL qualification match imo?
Maybe another wide option could be added beforehand, in order to provide extra attacking options?
So running the huge risks of any injuries occurred, struggling for the replacement within a number of positions as things stand?
So potentially adding extra pressure this weekend, to see if we are a potential CL level team in the making?
Especially when you consider that maybe only 1 addition, could actually make us stronger than the starting line-up for Sunday?
So, the main focus upon additions, will potentially be upon possible replacements for Engels and Hatate?
Along with the wide option?
Before claims can be made as to whether we have a stronger or weaker squad heading into the league phase of European competition?
Still believe that it will be regarded as stronger eventually, but won’t be in place before the CL qualification matches imo?