Video – Soro’s first chat on Celtic TV, Monday deadline for Europa squad changes

THE JANUARY Transfer Window ‘slams shut’ on Friday and we are wait and watch to see if Celtic are going to add any additional signings. So far there have been two new arrivals Patryk Klimala and Ismaila Soro.

Two first team players – Scotty Sinclair and Lewis Morgan have left the club signing for Preston NE and Inter Miami respectively while Jack Hendry and Eboue Kouassi have gone out on loan to Melbourne City and Genk. All four you may have noticed were Brendan Rodgers signings.

Celtic completed their first major signing of the January transfer window when they signed Polish striker, Patryk Klimala, from Jagiellonia Bialystok after activating his €4-million release clause. The 21-year-old scored 7 goals in 18 appearances this season for his former club and will be hoping to carry that form on at the Treble Treble winners.

Ivory Coast midfielder, Ismaila Soro, yesterday arrived in Glasgow to put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half year deal. The club paid a transfer fee believed to be around £2-million to bring him to Celtic from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda. The deal was delayed due to work permit red-tape but he’s here now and up at Lennoxtown to meet his new teammates and sample the Scottish weather. Is it snowing where you are?

He’s also going to have to work on learning the language and will be pleased to discover that Celtic have a very good team in place up at Strathclyde University who will help with this. Here’s is Soro’s first interview with Celtic TV.

Both Filip Benkovic and Victor Wanyama are under consideration by those who are trying to second guess Neil Lennon’s intentions. The Celtic manager has spoken positively about both players but it’s going to come down to money – Tottenham priced themselves out of Celtic taking Wanyama in loan in the summer and ended up with him sitting in the stand earning big bucks. They might decide on a more realistic stance if Celtic are asking the question this time. Wanyama was always going to be a last minute deal and it will be another case of who blinks first.

Celtic wished Brendan Rodgers a happy birthday the other day and immediately two and two was put together with the conclusion that Benkovic could be on his way back. The Celtic manager also spoke positively about the Leicester City defender who was excellent in his loan spell at Celtic last season, after the 3-0 win over Ross County on Saturday, the day before Steven Gerrard’s players slipped and blinked.

Anyway we’ll know one way or the other by Friday who is coming in. Then there’s the matter of how Celtic will alter their Europa League squad which has to be done by the start of next week and that’s that all the way to the Final, or sooner if he get knocked out!

The go-to guy for this is @Moravcik67 and he’s been explaining how the comings and goings in the transfer market together the emergence of Jeremie Frimpong will give Neil Lennon some significant choices to make early next week.

Here’s how @Moravcik67 explained the situation: “We have until 11pm next Monday (3rd Feb) to update the squad for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

“We can make up to 3 changes to the squad – as long we stay within the normal squad rules. Once submitted, that’s our squad set all the way to Gdansk.”

He continued: “Currently we have 23 players in the main squad – called List A. That’s the most we can currently have because of UEFA squad rules.

“If we want to add Klimala, Soro and Frimpong (who isn’t in the squad), we need 3 to drop out.

“The squad currently includes Sinclair and Morgan – who will free up two places. But Hendry and Kouassi weren’t in the squad, so they won’t free up the last place. Someone else will need to drop out.

“Current squad is attached. Shved would be the obvious choice, but with all the injuries we have just now who knows. We also have 3 keepers, which is probably overkill.

“Ajer, Johnson, Eddie and Dembele are on List B for young ‘uns, so don’t come into this at all.”

“Finally, if we sign anyone else before the end of the trasnfer window (yeh, I know) Neil Lennon would then have to choose which of the new signings (and Frimpong) he wanted in the squad. We can only add 3 of them, so someone would have to miss out.”

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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