Celtic have brought in half a dozen players but still need a few more

The official announcement of Gustaf Lagerbielke as a Celtic player yesterday brought Celtic’s total number of signings this summer up to six. Approximately £15 million spent on players while bringing in just under £30 million, yet there is a feeling across the Celtic fanbase that there is still significant work to be done before the clock strikes zero in two weeks’ time.

This Celtic squad is more than good enough to dominate domestically, but reinforcements are needed if Brendan Rodgers and his side have any inclination to make an impact in Europe.

Here are the positions that I reckon the club must invest in before the window shuts:

Goalkeeper

Starting from the back, goalkeeper has been a heavily discussed topic since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers. Joe Harts slight dip in form towards the end of last season, accompanied by his errors in the Champions League last year convinced large sections of the Celtic support that a new goalkeeper is a required if the club wish to be more competitive in Europe this season.

Croatian World cup hero Dominik Livakovic was linked to the club earlier in the summer, but it seems very unlikely we will attempt to bring him in. Rumours linking Celtic to other goalkeepers has been non-existent which is a worrying sign for supporters. If Rodgers wants to back up his talk of European ambition, a young, progressive keeper to challenge Hart is a must.

Left Back

The form of Greg Taylor has been a divisive subject over the past few weeks. Two poor performances in Celtic’s opening two league games have led to questions over his starting role in the side. Reports linking Celtic to French U21 international Quentin Merlin have been quashed in almost immediately by a senior source at Parkhead-Quentin Merlin not currently of interest to Celtic, according to a report (thecelticstar.com).

Writing off Taylor as a Celtic player is naïve considering the heights he hit under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou in his inverted full back role. However, Rodgers style of overlapping full backs requires a more physically gifted player. A quick, strong, aggressive left back should be a priority for Lawwell and his scouting team in the remaining weeks of the window.

Left Winger

Staying on the left side, left winger is a position that has big boots to fill after the departure of Jota earlier in the window. 15 goals and 12 assists must be compensated for with the loss of the former Portuguese u21 international.

Liel Abada has stepped up to the plate in Jotas absence so far this season and with new signings Tilio and the impressive Yang behind him, right wing is certainly in a healthy state of affairs. However, the same cannot be said for the other side of attack.

Daizen Maeda is a direct, quick, effective winger backed up by a competent player in Sead Hakšabanović . But questions remain whether either player can perform at the highest level in Europe. Reports linking Celtic to the Premier League duo of Ryan Fraser and Daniel Podence has split opinion among fans.

The latter is a much more attractive option and would add much need quality to our attack. Regardless if the Portuguese international makes the switch up north of the border, a technically gifted, direct, quality left winger must be brought in if Rodgers side wish to make an impact in the Champions League this season.

James French