In a busy transfer window, Celtic signed nine new players and sold four from the first team squad. Central defence saw two planned arrivals: Maik Nawrocki (22) and Gustaf Lagerbielke (23), and the departure of Carl Starfelt (28). Starfelt’s two-year partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers was remarkably successful. They only once experience defeat in a domestic game when paired together and that was after extra-time.
There are great hopes for Nawrocki and Lagerbielke but injuries to the former, as well as Carter-Vickers, saw emergency loanee Nat Phillips (26) arrive from Liverpool. Nat and Gustav will be at the heart of the defence when we open for Champions League duty next week, barring further drama!
The wings saw Jota (24) leave for Arabia for an eye-watering £25m, pushing through the ceiling established by Kieran Tierney. Sead Haksabanovic (24) went on load to Stoke. One was always first choice; one was always a late throw of the dice. Some of Jota’s goals were of a standard we have not seen at Celtic in many years, he scored in big games too and is a player you will talk about for decades.
Three wingers came in. Hyun-jun Yang (21) arrived from Korea and has made the biggest impact so far, which is remarkable for one so young and so far from home. It is clear he enjoys taking-on a defender and is someone who will make things happen.
Australian Marco Tilio (21) came in early in the window, but injury means he has still to make his debut. Like Yang, he mostly plays on the right. On the left, Ecuadorian Luis Palma (23) came in late August, too soon to be involved at the weekend, but he is fit and ready for action. The fee paid for Luis was a just a shade below the €5m top figure we paid this window for Nawrocki. An indication, perhaps, that he is most likely to fill the Jota shaped hole.
Central mid saw the retirement of Aaron Mooy (32). He was with us for only a season, during which he was injured for a lengthy period and benched for many games, he nonetheless left an important gap in the squad.
In came Norwegian Odin Thiago Holm (20), the youngest of the signings. At this age, Odin’s best position is still under review. I expect to see him tried in the box-to-box role as well as in a more advanced position, if not eventually moving back, as his captain did.
So far, the most apt observation I have for Odin is ‘attitude’. He is here to make an impact and wasted no time at Ibrox on Sunday. Moments after he arrived, he carried the ball 15 yards before getting a shot on target. The early signs are encouraging.
Can we do another ‘Jota’ on Benfica? Paulo Bernardo (21) came in on a loan-with-option-to-buy deal. Celtic were very keen to get this one over the line. Like Jota two years ago, the club sees a high upper potential here.
The one player who looks like a punt in the dark is Hyeok-kyu Kwon (22). The defensive mid joins after making an impact in the Korean second tier. Callum McGregor is perhaps the fittest player we have ever had at Celtic. Kwon may have a frustrating wait, alongside Tomoki Iwata, for gametime.
We are familiar seeing Celtic sub out both wingers during the game, with Maeda, Palma, Abada, Yang, Tilio and Forrest, this will continue. It is more common to swap out only one central mid. With Hatate, O’Riley, Turnbull, Holm, Bernado all available to fill the two slots in front of Callum McGregor, this is about to change.
Coaches are still getting their heads around how best to use their five substitute options. Throwing on two fresh wingers after an hour and a change of striker was the first iteration of change. Expect experimentation in the middle of the park this season.
By any measure, the success of this transfer window has yet to be determined – it is truly insane to suggest otherwise (apologies to the many who left a self-identifier to this effect). I hear very, very, good things about Nawrocki. Holm, Bernardo, Tilio, Yang, Palma and Lagerbielke were all top targets, which is preferable to sliding down the list in the final days.
We took in around £30m and spent an estimated £19m on transfer fees. Wage packets for the arrivals will be heavier than the leavers took home. This is your annual reminder that wages and transfer spend both come out of income, feel free to howl disagreement in the direction of the moon.
If we wanted to just compete with Newco, like them, we would have signed players in their mid-20s, less risky but with less potential. If, however, we want to make significant leaps forward in Europe, we need to follow another route.
Find, sign and develop players with high upper potential. Get them in the team, improve them and if you get it right, you have a chance. This is the only game in town for Celtic, we are wasting opportunity doing anything else.
It is clear what Celtic tried to achieve in this window. We have established a recruitment model that brought players from across the globe. We offer first-team domestic and Champions League football to players in their early 20s. Our pitch is that they get to earn well, win trophies and have a platform to hopefully build a great career.
There will be Kilmarnock-shaped bumps along the way. We need to be able to cope with them without self-indulgent flagellation. Football fans have been coping with defeats since the game began, don’t lose sight of this among all our silverware, it’s not a good look.
Neither is the invective expressed because we didn’t strengthen every position. This never happens – anywhere! One more thought. This is an easy article to write after Sunday, when pennies dropped across the country. The window would have been no less valid had the Roofe ‘goal’ been permitted and the result gone the other way.
Watch across the city as fans tear their club apart. Football is a more difficult business than any of the experts who have achieved nothing in the game believe. If you think spending money on a player is an absolutely obvious thing for Celtic to do, and you know we have the money, but that deal does not happen, it is not because you are wise, and Celtic are led by fools. It might just be that you are missing insight (I’m being very polite here).
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Who knows if the new guys will make us stronger, nobody knows until they are given a run in the team,I remember van Dijk v Astana away…….a few years later,probably best CB in the World
Sycamore
We may have millions in the bank.
But is it being reserved for future lawyers fees ?
APRICALE on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2023 1:49 PM
hugely informstive tas for thaat.
a billion spent and no european cups added for united, how shit is that, oh and psg
bbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Another day another Troller
Whatever happened to the Stephane Mahe money ?
KINGlUBO
A GREAT wee song from 1967…
” GROOVIN”…By The YOUNG RASCALS.
I played it a few times on Sunday after we gubbed the Huns.
The Celtic dressing could have played it after the full time whistle……..GROOVIN.
Sorry, but I cant do the Link.
LOL
HH
A wee Song for Mickey Beales ” GAMEPLAN”…
” RIP IT UP”….By ORANGE JUICE.
LOL
HH
Ghirls 1 up
Big Jimmy
Play them on Friday. Leggy is paying if he doesn’t take a header aff his chair. 😆
Jimmy
https://youtu.be/4JIq8Zn0AJE?si=Hs38uhmdy6xPzyzp
Tangbhoy
“What concerns me is that we are going back to a last week of the window signing plan. The days of Bitton at Centre half or Josh Thompson to try and qualify for the CL. That just doesn’t make sense and it has cost us a League cup defence.”
———————————
Does it make sense- maybe not? But it is nevertheless a reality
Look at the amount of business done on the last day of the transfer window- by all British clubs, even the bigger , moneyed ones.
Now, maybe they’re all run by incompetents despite their track record in other fields but … maybe there’s another explanation if you can imagine it.
Maybe we are in the hands of players and agents and clubs who are holding out till the last day to see if their guy fetches a higher offer.
Our window was no different to other clubs- some players arrived early because Celtic was the only or best club that could be interested in them. Others arrived in the middle and, as always there was some last minute scrambling as potential buys fell through (Brondby guy and Kelleher) and others found Celtic was the best offer they had. A myth exists that Ange got all his business done early but it’s a myth. Jota, CCV and Giakoumakkis arrived on the last day.
It would be great to have a prepared team for the CL with a complete pre-season behind them but the only way I could see that happen for us, is if we had no players performing well enough to attract a bid from bigger clubs- that’s a lose to win situation.
So long as we produce and develop good players, we will lose a number of first team performers every year. That is inevitable. It can even be a good thing if we do player trading well on these successful players. We have kept a number of our best on improved contracts and hope to do so yet for O’Riley and Hatate. I can see some of this summer’s intake being approached to sign extension contracts to ward off predators looking for an easy steal, but I can not see them all succeed. That never happens.
Jimmy, again.
https://youtu.be/UzPh89tD5pA?si=uwGcwRhi_cbd2juQ
Fabrizio Romano says Celtic ‘top talent’ agrees contract extension
Patrick Sinat
Wed 6 September 2023 13:45, UK
Updated Wed 6 September 2023 14:04, UK
Celtic have reportedly agreed new terms with young teenage fullback, Mitchel Frame this afternoon.
Fabrizio Romano says the club offered the 17-year-old defender a contract extension after clubs from England were targeting the youngster.
Taking to social media channel X, Romano said, “EXCL: Celtic agree new deal terms with top talent Mitchel Frame, 2006 born fullback.
“Frame already had deal to summer 2025 but now agreed new contract to summer 2026.
“Several clubs in England were targeting Frame, set to put pen on paper soon with Celtic.
Frame has been one of the rising stars in the Celtic B team this season and has made 10 appearances, scoring one and creating one.
It had been reported that Frame was attracting the attention of Crystal Palace when he was just 15-years-old as well as the likes of Tottenham and Wolves. [Football Scotland]
However, over the summer, Newcastle United were said to be monitoring the youngster as well as Brighton with Palace still mentioned with a team of interest in the youngster. [Daily Record]
But now, Frame has reaffirmed his commitment to the Scottish champions after agreeing a deal to stay at the club until 2026.
Celtic have certainly been busy tying up all their top talents this summer. Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Callum McGregor all agreed new contracts.
TBR Celtic told today how Matt O’Riley is also set to be offered a new deal and adding Frame to that list is a brilliant piece of business by the club.
The international break is certainly becoming more interesting for the Celtic fans as they hope the club will turn their attentions next to Reo Hatate and Rocco Vata.
Oh dear same scheidt different moniker
Well done ghirls
Gene
Who were we playing and final score old chap?
https://icdn.thecelticstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rangers-fc-v-celtic-fc-cinch-scottish-premiership-113.jpg
Have they not suffered enough
SFTB,
I admire your persistence. Some people will never be persuaded to be positive. Have they ever joined in “Always look on the bright side of life”?
Naw!!!!
https://icdn.thecelticstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/323136903_1192457831669550_833750297608845494_n.jpg
Celtic ladies through won 1.0 in Norway.
Dessybhoy
Cheers👍
BRRB
Have an extra beer big guy!
Bronby , 1 -0 to the ghirls
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2023 2:58 PM
SFTB,
I admire your persistence. Some people will never be persuaded to be positive. Have they ever joined in “Always look on the bright side of life”?
———
i did find it funny when the psv fans started singing it to the visitng huns
Dessybhoy
And why not. 🍻😂
Gene
Cheers 🍻. Good result for the Vale last night. Who’s next?
‘Lacking insight’
Now that is extremely polite Paul.
It’s as plain as the nose on your face. Danish strikers and red herrings etc.
As the guest psychiatrist on Fawlty Towers famously said
‘There is enough material on here for an entire convention’.
Good and unexpected news for the Celtic ladies.
I do hope the manager is a wee bit less handsy than he was before with his celebrations.
CQN at its best.
High quality leader by Paul.
More than a handful of posts from fans / amateurs of equally high quality.
Plus a few snarls and growls.
Fine – it’s a blog and it’s about football.
We do this article twice a year.
By my reckoning I’ve read maybe 35 of them?
I honestly don’t know that my feelings at the end of each transfer window are all that different …. regardless of the business done.
Freely admit opinion, personal bias and the dreaded CD are factors.
Recurring themes in my head
“Window was OK, but would have been better if we’d signed just one more top player specifically for position X”
“Decent foundations this window. At next window, if we can get 3 stars in and 8 squad players out the squad will be really well balanced”
I remember Brendan’s first window vividly.
We signed five players. Toure, De Vries, Sinclair, Dembele and Gamboa.
There was talk of a “really good midfielder” but it didn’t happen and I recall feeling disappointed it didn’t.
As it turns out Sinclair and Dembele were sensational, the rest of the squad upped their game, we qualified for the Champions League and we won a treble going unbeaten domestically.
Tangbhoy
“So, whilst I would not hold them up as any financial model to follow (obviously) they have achieved more than us in Europe.”
—————————
They have indeed in the Europa League in that particular season.
They would not swop our achievements for theirs. They are desperate to have what we have- a league winning side and some of ours want what they had- an exciting run in Europe. Hate to say it but I think the sec fans are right here. Ours is the greater achievement and I do not wish to swap a league for a long European run that ends in failure.
They did not achieve this European “success” by spending more than us or by recruiting better players or managers. They sacked the guy that won them the league, they sacked the guy who got them the Euro run and now they want to sack the guy they said really won them Gerard’s title. They have not recruited and sold a player for any amount. They are not desperate to offer any of their current players extensions for fear of them being transferred cheaply..
Yes, we can do better in Europe but…….. winning the league is always number one- nothing comes before it- not even if our fans are getting bored of title wins and want to move on somewhere.
Still celebrating……..and no sign of the hun. 🤔
Looking at Sky fixture changes which I can understand as a consequence of European midweek games. However what is the reason for moving the hertz game on 21 October to Sunday 22nd, hertz are not on Europe???
Prestonpans
None of your business.
BRRB
Don’t think the draw for the next round has been made – this is the EFL trophy probably like the challenge cup in Scotland.
We’ve got Sutton utd at our place in the EFL cup ( league cup to us oldies
Gene
Planning a trip to Burslem with the Shipwrecks next year. How many spare rooms have you got?😂
How many of you remember when we signed that Arsenal powerhouse, Martin Hayes, or the striker for the ages in Wayne “christopher” Biggins. I was excited about Gary Gillespie until I realized he had worse hamstrings than meself. Big Julie Andrews in goals, giving up two pks in his first game in a preseason game versus Cruzeiro Belahorizonti (forgive the spelling:))) I remember we tried to get Dragan Stoikovic back in the day, right after he scored an amazing goal in a 3-3 friendly at paradise. I actually have a Raphael Scheidt jersey, signed, from his club team in Brazil, as a friend of mine used to coach him down there. sometimes we luck out in transfers and sometimes we don’t. Time will tell if these guys are going to be successful or not. Those guys I mentioned above still got my support when they wore the hoops. I hope our new guys are a success.
Sorry for the randomness of my post as I am bored sitting in my classroom:)))
Sean