Poorly conceived and terribly executed window

Celtic delayed announcing the arrival of Sebastian Tounekti (23) from Hammarby until the moment the transfer window closed.  This felt like a tacit acceptance that supporter expectation would not be satisfied if the announcement came earlier in the day, and no others arrived in the evening.

Brendan Rodgers let us know he had a veto on the departure of Adam Idah and would not agree to his move to Swansea until a replacement arrived.  You and I could reasonably expect Adam’s move was confirmation a replacement was on his way.  We were wrong (and I am not prepared to get enthusiastic about out of contract players).

Let’s look at the substance.  Celtic signed 10 players in the summer transfer window, eight on permanent contracts and two defenders on loans.  Tounekti was the most expensive at £5.2m.  The Norway-born Tunisia international spent only six months at Hammarby, in which time his transfer fee quadrupled.   Our fee feels high.

Sebastian joins Michel-Ange Balikwisha (24), who arrived for £5m from Royal Antwerp.  Thrown in at the deep end on Sunday, Michel-Ange did well enough for a player who hardly knew anyone on the field.

Our most important signing so far is Benjamin Nygren (23).  Benji has already scored three league goals, times runs into the box and shows real purpose defending and on attack.  He is clearly not a winger and will hopefully only be seen wide in emergency circumstances, or when we are trying to close a game out.

Kieran Tierney (28) returned to great fanfare.  KT is the best player to emerge from the Celtic youth setup in 15 years.  His engine allows him to get up and down the field and he is the best crosser at the club (that we know about).  He has yet to reach full fitness and will continue to improve as he gets there.

We signed a striker!!!  Shin Yamada (25) arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for £1.4m.  I expect Shin was recruited as a player we could develop over the season.  That plan may now be reconsidered, post Idah departure.  Callum Osmand (19) joins the front-line options from Fulham, but we have yet to see him in competitive action.

Left-sided defender Hayato Inamura (23) came in from Albirex Niigata.  Last month Brendan Rodgers suggested the player was not ready for Celtic action and may be sent out on loan.  Plans change, I suppose.  Ross Doohan (27) arrived back at the club to fill the role as third choice goalkeeper.

Two defenders came in on loan: left back Marcelo Saracchi (27), the Uruguayan international, who joins from Boca Juniors, and central defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19), who came in from Manchester City.

Out of the building went Nicolas Kuhn (25) to Como for £15m.  This departure so early in the window was inexplicable.  Greg Taylor (27) left on a free and is already missed by many in the support.

Braga paid £2.4m for Gus Lagerbielke (25), Rapid Vienna paid £1.2m for Marco Tilio (24), while Ligue 1 side Nantes took Hyeok-kyu Kwon (24) for £200k.  The development of Kwon, like Gus and Marco, will be interesting to watch in the season ahead.  I’m thinking Oh, but we will discuss that particular player later this week.

As well as the aforementioned Idah (24) leaving for £7m to Swansea, Scott Bain left for Falkirk.  Luis Palma (Lech Poznan) and Maik Nawrocki (Hannover 96) went out on loan.

I have seen new Celtic arrivals mistakenly written off too many times to fall into that trap, but we are on safe ground to say this transfer window was poorly conceived and terribly executed (the former resulted in the latter).  The possible arrival of an out of contract striker will change this, I would rather we did nothing and develop Shin and Johnny Kenny instead.

Lots to say about the Kasper Dolberg fiasco tomorrow.  He encapsulates our poorly conceived window and why we ended up as we did.

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