There was always a worry that Celtic might be light on numbers in certain areas of the team going into the season, so keeping players fit was going to be a serious priority.
The problem we’ve seen with players like Ryan Christie is that sometimes key players will be unavailable for reasons outwith the club’s control, and international breaks have proved problematic for the spreading of Covid-19 too.
It already looks like efforts are being made to strengthen the squad ahead of the January window opening, and the name of Preston defender Ben Davies may be familiar to a lot of fans.
He was heavily linked with a move in the summer, plus signing a left sided defender who likes to get on the ball is going to be vital if Lenny wants to persist with three at the back.
READ MORE: AC Milan squad news vs Celtic: Key attacking duo miss out and defender doesn’t travel amid Covid-19 issues
Football Insider reported that Celtic are preparing an attempt to sign him in January, and they are possible in pole position due to cross border rules.
They confirm that his contract is up at the end of the season but English sides won’t be able to offer a pre contract until closer to the summer, so that gives Celtic a chance to get him tied up.
Interestingly they claim he was valued at £10m by Preston in the summer, but he’s likely to go for a fraction of that if a new deal can’t be worked out.
It may not be totally straight forward as West Ham and Sheffield United have been credited with an interest and Preston will surely flog him to the highest bidder if the alternative is losing him for nothing.
It sounds like Bournemouth had a £5m bid rejected late in the window and he would be allowed to go for half of that in January, so he’ll still require a sizeable fee if Celtic aren’t prepared to wait until next summer.
DON’T MISS THIS…Photo Exclusive – The Demolition and Rebuilding of Celtic Park plus Scotland’s Forgotten Clubs
