Kvistgaarden, Balikwisha and Miller are the players who are top of my wish list for Celtic to sign this summer…
With the season almost concluded all thoughts will not only be on the upcoming Scottish Cup Final, but the forthcoming summer transfer window.
Treble winners or not, squad needs quality additions
We could well head into the summer as Treble winners but that doesn’t mean we can’t make improvements to our squad, as it’s clear and obvious we need to add more strength and depth for the challenges ahead next campaign.
We don’t want just squad fillers either we want first team ready players and ones of true quality. Brendan Rodgers yesterday said that he wants at least three quality additions to bolster his options and three names that we’ve been heavily linked with would do just nicely.
Three top targets would improve Celtic immensely
Mathias Kvistgaarden of Danish side Brondby, Michel-Ange Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp in Belgium and closer to home Lennon Miller of Motherwell who has been named as the Football Writers Young Player of the Year to add to his PFA Scotland Award for the same category.
Jota set to miss almost all of next season
These are three players whose signatures I believe Celtic should be working hard to secure. Kvistgaarden and Balikwisha would give us extra attacking options and with their pace and skill they would form a formidable attacking force with Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda whilst giving us great options in the attacking area. It’s likely that Jota will miss the vast majority of next season and James Forrest will be a year older and getting close to being a super-sub rather than a contender for a starting place.
Lennon Miller will be sold by Motherwell this summer
Lennon Miller is another who would add an extra quality to our side in the middle of the park, and he’s a player with tremendous potential to go far in the game. He is not going to be short of options this summer when Motherwell will be looking to cash in on their prize asset. Celtic should make sure that they win that particular race.
Acquiring all three would likely cost in the region of £20 million but it’s a figure that’s well within our reach. Hopefully we can do that without selling any of our most valuable assets, as we’ve seen happen in the past.
Frimpong windfall and 2023 project sales can help fund these three deals
With a healthy £5 million heading our way when the imminent sale of Jeremie Frimpong is concluded, and funds generated from the sale of players on the fringes such as Luis Palma and Gustaf Lagerbielke it should more than help us cover the cost of investing in quality signings without needing to lose any of our star players.
Want-away players will always be sold provided Celtic’s valuation is met
And any that are sold need to be replaced with that being over and above the players mentioned above. If players want to leave Brendan Rodgers will not stand in their way provided Celtic’s valuation is met by any club interested in signing the player or players in question. We saw that with Kyogo who asked away last summer, got his move in January and would appear to be regretting it ever since.
Should have a word with that new agent, wee man.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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I would add Kota Takai, from Kawasaki in the J League the 20 year old I believe to be a very good defender and I think can develop under Brendan Rodger, Lennon Miller, and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Mathias Kvistgaarden would also be great additions.
Excellent attempt at trying to solve the 3 player riddle, Rogers has set out imo?
The addition of Tierney, brings the squad numbers up to 25, as things currently stand?
So 3 additions, means 3 squad places have to be changed from the present.
Jota replacement, box ticked.
Kenny to be loaned out again?
Schulpp to end his loan period, Taylor still remains Rogers preferred choice still, and allows for the extra midfielder to be added?
So potentially all boxes ticked on paper?
Creating the guessing game, before a treble winning cup final, should keep the eejits within the Scottish media busy, without trying the disruption tactics of trying to unsettle players before then?
Another box ticking exercise taken by Rodgers?
So a simple, straightforward summer awaits then?
Not a chance of that happening imo?
This summer still remains about just how many of our key players, we can keep hold of, especially with a world cup season ahead in mind?
So already, Maeda, Hatate, CCV and AJ all fall into that category?
Plenty of rumours surrounding kuhn already?
Lack of game time and opportunity surrounding rocki?
Who is the actual best partner for CCV?
Still unresolved all season, and will the 3rd choice remain happy at staying 3rd choice next season?
Will Taylor sign a new contract that Rodgers is hoping for, even if no sight of it actually happening still?
So fail to see where the simple solution remains within the riddle set, especially with the amount of unknowns in operation at present?
Certainly not expecting it to be resolved as easily as we would be liking, and set out originally in your article imo?