Reo Hatate is a potential transfer target for Leicester City, according to a report by Stephen McGowan of the Scottish Daily Mail. Celtic, the report claims are aware of the interest but no bid has been received.
Reo Hatate of course was one of many Celtic stand-outs in the 4-1 win over Chelsea at the weekend and that Celtic performance is only going to attract interest in numerous players who looked better that their opponents in the last match of Celtic’s USA Tour.
Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Kyogo were outstanding and likely to receive greater transfer scrutiny as a result and you can also add Nicolas Kuhn to that for his display against Manchester City.
One player who does look set to leave Celtic shortly is Swedish defender Gus Lagerbielke, who was used by Brendan Rodgers in all three games in the USA, coming off the bench on each occasion. The Celtic manager was asked about the 24 year old defender’s future at the club after the match on Saturday.
“It just all depends. Gus has shown a terrific attitude,” Rodgers said, as reported by Scottish Sun. “He didn’t get so much game time last season but he’s got his head down. He had the chance to go on loan in January, but we needed to keep him due to the injuries we had in that position. But he’s worked very hard over pre-season and we’ll see what happens.
“You see the players are happy and working well, but all players want to play. If they can’t get the game time with us, they may look elsewhere. In this moment Gus is working very hard and when he is asked, he comes in and does well.”
Meanwhile Luis Palma cleared up the mystery surrounding Matt O’Riley and his own rather strange goal celebrations against Chelsea, explaining that it related to Nicolas Kuhn who had to sit out the Chelsea game after complaining about a back problem in training. Palma also added his voice to Callum McGregor’s in urging O’Riley to stay at the club this season.
“Matt’s celebration was for Nicolas Kuhn. He had a sore back so he was saying he was an old man!
“He is a phenomenal player. There is a lot of talk about him but he doesn’t let it affect him.”
Reports in Italy over the weekend claim that O’Riley’s preference is a move to Atalanta, where he will get Champions League football with last season’s Europa League winners. The Serie A side though have already had three offers rejected and appear to be working on a strategy to lower Celtic’s price demands from £25m. Good luck with that approach!
Southampton would be better turning their attentions elsewhere as they’re an increasingly unlikely choice for O’Riley, who will certainly look to make his choice for sound footballing reasons. The idea of starring in the new look Champions League with Brendan Rodgers’ improving Celtic side before getting an even bigger move next summer must sure be a serious consideration for the sought after midfielder.
Both O’Riley and Hatate are players whose valuation can soar under Rodgers and surely that is also a consideration for the Celtic Board? Reo has never hidden his desire to play in a bigger league, so he may be the one who is tempted to take the first offer that comes along.
Our fans must be fed up to the back teeth of media speculation about our players being sold – I know I am. If we were to sell all the players mentioned over the summer, we’d have virtually decimated the team – & even greedy Lawwell wouldn’t be that stupid.
I know every player has a price but they are contracted to the club & unless there is a ‘buy-out’ clause in it, we have no need to sell anyone other than maybe moving on players having little or no prospect of game time.
Given Lawwell’s boast last season about how much was in the club bank A/C & the guaranteed forthcoming windfall from the Champions League etc., what really needs to be done is to bring in the players that Brendan wants to strengthen the team & win the league again; have a bit more success, if possible, in getting to the knockout stages of the CL at least; & guarantee the windfall from it continues. Surely even Lawwell should be content with that & have a bit more ambition for the team?
We are well use to just how much profit is available with our transfer strategy.
It more than covers the players who don’t turn out to be a success for ourselves?
Yet for myself, I was hoping to see a form of change by the time this window actually shuts?
Really have enjoyed the approach Rodgers has taken to date, even if the majority haven’t with the demands for incoming players?
Personally believe that Rodgers would like ourselves to be in a position as a club, to reduce the amount of transfer activities that we seem to be caught up within during every summer imo?
To get ourselves into a position where we aren’t looking at so many incoming and outgoing players on a yearly basis, as it certainly doesn’t help ourselves in squad stability?
However, we also generally accept that we stand to potentially lose a very big player each summer?
That’s only a sign of the success we have on offer to attracting players in the first instance, of just how successful there careers can be for themselves, and financially also, for both parties?
Players can outgrow our current wage budget, and there’s not much we can do about that, with the finances available from bigger leagues with more funds available?
Yet we can control, just how many of our big players we are prepared to let go also?
Hopefully we can get ourselves in a position that only 1 during each summer, could be considered to be letting go, and only at the right price?
If we have a good decent all round squad already in place, such approaches should have less impact upon ourselves, and our focus can be upon the replacement as our main activities over the summer?
Also current players under contract like a largerman and Yuki amongst others, who sit outside of Rodgers provisional 25man squad at present?
Will be allowed to move on, and can hardly make a claim that they weren’t given the opportunity?
Also allows for a better development opportunity also for ourselves, regarding our project academy players also imo?
If they are outside of the provisional 25man squad, then a potential loan move with more game time at a higher level than lowland league, could be very beneficial for them in development terms, again for ourselves and themselves also?
Personally believe that we have a decent structure already in place within our squad for next season already imo?
We still are looking to strengthen with added quality, to reduce the massive gap in quality between 1st and 2nd choice player’s in positions, which we have been operating under for way too long also imo?
So at present, we could be looking at a situation where when Paulo is confirmed then Kwon could drop out of the 25man squad?
Likewise if idah gets signed eventually, yang possibly drops out also, as an example?
Then the decision can be made weather a loan move or actually selling would be more beneficial for everyone?
Personally believe that Rodgers had such a plan in mind for making transfer activities far easier in the longer run, by implementing the changes that were required over a few windows imo?
Would like to think that the changes in process for ourselves is well under way, during this summer imo?
Rodgers left first time around by not getting backed by the board with incoming players, with lawwell taking the position of keeping the scum relevant imo?
Personally don’t believe that is the case any longer, with ourselves looking at a far bigger picture that doesn’t involve the scum imo?
Easier for Rodgers to be reducing squad numbers at present, by allowing opportunities available for the younger players to establish themselves, and highlighting the areas that need future strengthening within the squad?
But also getting ourselves covered better for when the bigger players for ourselves actually should move on also?
Such a process is well under way at present, and believe it will hopefully be completed by the time the window actually shuts imo?
May not be totally completed in regards that moving some players on who are currently under contract, isn’t as easy as we would like?
But if the standard of football that we are producing, is of such a high level, as was on show within the USA tour?
Then there is no shame attached to any players not being regarded as good enough for our 25man squad either?
Our ambitions remain as starting to become a serious CL squad, with a very good all round team in operation, which is covered by injuries, suspension, loss of form etc etc?
Personally believe that such ambitions are well under way to been achieved in a far more structured manner now, than just throwing players into the equation and hoping that they can click together and getting us to the higher level than Scottish football imo?
But that’s only a yearly process been put into operation?
Thinking Rodgers is looking at far longer than that imo?