Celtic have moved to reshape their midfield in one afternoon, bringing in Parma’s Oliver Sørensen on loan while waving off two long-serving squad members in Reo Hatate and Johnny Kenny.
Celtic have completed the signing of Parma midfielder Oliver Sørensen on a season-long loan with an option to buy, while Reo Hatate has joined Burnley on a three-year deal and Johnny Kenny has signed a four-year contract with Preston North End. Sørensen is 24, Hatate is 28 and Kenny is 23 – three moves confirmed within hours of each other as the window edges toward its close.
According to BBC Sport, all three deals were finalised on 1 September 2026. Celtic have also been linked with Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joel van den Berg, though neither of those is a confirmed signing at this stage – links, not done deals.
Three Careers, Three Directions
Hatate’s exit closes a chapter that began in January 2022 when he arrived from Kawasaki Frontale, going on to score 33 goals in 191 appearances and pick up a fistful of medals along the way. Read more on the circumstances behind Hatate’s Celtic exit for the fuller picture of how that departure came together.
Kenny’s move to Preston follows a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers last season, and it’s a sensible next step for a striker who needed regular minutes rather than a bit-part role at Parkhead. Sørensen, meanwhile, arrives having signed for Parma in August 2025 after five years at Midtjylland in Denmark – our earlier coverage of Celtic’s interest in Sørensen traces how that pursuit developed. He’s now Celtic’s fifth first-team signing of the window, and the club sees him as the man to help fill the gap left by Arne Engels’ sale to West Ham United – a gap that’s only grown wider with Hatate now gone too.
Maloney’s Shopping List Isn’t Finished
Assistant manager Shaun Maloney made clear before Wednesday’s visit of Aberdeen that this window still has work to do, particularly at left-back, where he wants competition for Kieran Tierney. He also stressed the need to replace what Engels brought in midfield with a different profile of player, and suggested three or four further additions were still possible – some of it, he said, planning for the future rather than this season alone. Full context on that broader rebuild is available in our piece on Celtic’s transfer plans ahead of the Europa League deadline.
On Hatate specifically, Maloney was generous: “He’s a brilliant player. What he’s done at the club has been really, really good. He’s won many titles here.” Fair words for a player who gave Celtic four good years.
What Happens Next
The Europa League squad must be registered by Wednesday at 23:59, with the Scottish transfer deadline following on Thursday at 17:00 BST. Maloney indicated any further striker addition would either land in the next 24 to 48 hours or Celtic would proceed with what they’ve got. Busy days ahead at Lennoxtown – Mon The Hoops.