Ange Postecoglou to bring in at least two new signings early in January window

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that he is set to bring in at least two new faces to Celtic Park this January transfer window. The boss is looking to tie his business up early once again so it’s all hands on deck as far as forward planning and organisation is concerned.

 Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates with Roe Hatate after scoring the third goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and St. Johnstone FC at Celtic Park on April 09, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Last year Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley all arrived to boost a terribly stretched and fatigued squad at Lennoxtown. Three out of the four were instrumental in us bringing the title back to Parkhead and Yosuke Ideguchi was unfortunate to receive a nasty injury in a Scottish Cup tie against Alloa Athletic. He has since been seen sporadically now and then, usually coming on as a sub like James McCarthy.

RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara with Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley during the UEFA Champions League match  at Celtic Park on October 11, 2022.  (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Hoops are nine points clear at the summit of the cinch Premiership league table at this current juncture but it would appear Ange Postecoglou really does ‘never stop’. Many have questioned just who the new faces will be with Vissel Kobe defender Yuki Kobayashi apparently set to sign as a free agent. Reports from Japan are certain that he will be joining our quartet of Bhoys from Asia.

The other possible signing is a mystery concurrently but no doubt Ange will have lined up another gem for us. Many expect the big man to bring in another striker to challenge the already strong attacking pool. Giorgos Giakoumakis have done well this season there is no denying that; however, there’s also been an awful lot of chances that have went by the wayside as we look to retain our Scottish Premiership crown and make inroads in Europe come next year.

 Ange Postecoglou during the Sydney Super Cup match between Celtic and Everton at Accor Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)

On possible January additions, the Greek-Aussie said: “It’s fair to say there’s a couple lined up, as reported by Scottish Sun. It’s how we’ve done things and how I believe we need to be. It’s how I’m built. I don’t like rushing around last minute, although it’s not always the case. Matt O’Riley we did in three days. We saw an opportunity and moved quickly. We can be agile when we need to and, when we don’t, we can methodically plan to make sure we get things done. If we can get guys early, once January 1 hits they are already part of this football club.

“We’ll definitely be stronger. I’ve said this was the difficult period for us we’ve just been through. No doubt we’ll be stronger — we’ll need to be stronger. We can’t stand still, no matter if people are saying we’ve had a great start. I refuse to stand still. Whatever the watermark has been, we aim to raise it when we get back. For us to challenge the teams we want to challenge, we need to do things a bit differently. We have to box clever. It’s worked well for us so far. The markets we’ve tapped into have been really beneficial for us and we’ve got great value in terms of what they’ve provided to our football club.”

He added: “We’ll be looking to do it again. I’m always happy, always excited. There’s always something that needs to be done. It’s not just about bringing in new players for the sake of it. It’s one we feel can take us to the next level. What we have done in the league so far is a strong foundation for us — and the target is now to finish the season better than we started. The goal for us should be to always be stronger every year and bridging the gaps with the ones we want to compete with. You have to do that in all areas.”

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I'm a Garngad Bhoy through and through. My first ever Celtic game was a friendly against Italian side Parma at Celtic Park, in 2002. Currently a student of English Literature and Education at the University of Strathclyde for my sins. Favourite game would be a toss up between beating Manchester United with that Naka freekick, or the game against the Oldco when Hesselink scored in the dying seconds. I'm still convinced Cal Mac is wasted playing that far back.

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