Premiership giants Celtic are one of the few clubs in Scotland that tend to use every transfer window to strengthen the squad. While the smaller teams in the league don’t have the financial backing to do so, the Celts ensure that they keep themselves updated so as to not allow any unwanted hindrances into the title race at the end of the season. Not afraid to do business in January as well, one thing that must be conceded about the Bhoys is the fact that not all of their incomings have worked out quite as well as expected in the past.
Neil Lennon’s desire to make signings ahead of what could be an iconic year in the history of Celtic is only understandable. Their league rivals Rangers have used the transfer window to make several important acquisitions, all of which if ignored, could’ve led to dire consequences for the Celts. To address this, Lennon himself went on to do some shopping. Some of the key weaknesses from the last season were addressed, while they were also thrown a couple of random curveballs at the start of the campaign as well. Celtic finished the season with six new players in the roster – three that were signed permanently, and another three brought in on loan.
Ranking Celtic’s 6 Summer Signings Based On Potential Impact:
Ranking Celtic’s 6 Summer Signings Based On Potential Impact
6. David Turnbull
The former Motherwell youngster is among the highest-rated midfielders in the entirety of the Premiership, and Celtic’s decision to bring him in hasn’t come as too much of a surprise. Despite this arrival though, it’s unlikely that he will have a huge part to play for the Celts during the upcoming season. Potentially being viewed as an eventual replacement for the ageing Scott Brown, the chances of him getting ahead of the skipper and Callum McGregor in the pecking order this season are extremely bleak.
5. Diego Laxalt
The AC Milan full-back has been brought in on a loan deal, as Celtic looked to find a potential replacement for the now departed Boli Bolingoli. The sheer amount of experience and quality that Laxalt will bring to the table needn’t be questioned, as Lennon will surely utilise him to rotate between the other full-backs. The fact that the Uruguayan is versatile enough to play on both flanks would’ve been one of their biggest points of attraction, as they currently don’t possess any alternatives to Greg Taylor down the left, or Jeremie Frimpong on the right.
4. Mohamed Elyounoussi
The Southampton man has been brought in for a second loan spell at Celtic this season, after thoroughly impressing during his time here last time around. Although the Norwegian has failed to have the impact that many were perhaps hoping for so far this season, his contributions to the side simply cannot be underplayed. Not only is he the most technically gifted player in all of Neil Lennon’s roster, but it was his late goal that secured them a place in this season’s edition of the UEFA Europa League.
3. Vasilis Barkas
The fact that Celtic needed to bring in a new goalkeeper was obvious going into the summer window. They could’ve targeted any affordable goalkeeper in Europe, and he would have likely walked into this team ahead of second choice stopper Scott Bain. Barkas has shown himself in a good light since making the switch and has already made the number one spot his own. Going into the season with Bain as the only option could’ve been suicidal from the Hoops’ perspective, which means that signing Barkas was one of the more important pieces of business they conducted this summer.
2. Albian Ajeti
The Swiss striker was brought in on a permanent deal from West Ham United this summer after the attacker failed to make his presence felt for the Hammers last season. The signs of his quality as a centre-forward have always been there, but the physicality of the Premier League was seemingly something that he wasn’t able to deal with. Brought in to provide direct competition and support to Odsonne Edouard, it’s safe to say that this signing has been one of their most important ones. The Hoops’ performances seemed to be defined by how well the Frenchman did, and the signing of Ajeti will come as a breath of fresh air for them in attack.
1. Shane Duffy
The Irish international centre-half was another one of the loan acquisitions that Celtic managed to get through the door during the summer transfer window. The sudden increase in the number of centre-halves at Brighton prompted the move, and Duffy has so far taken to the Premiership like a duck to water. The likes of Christopher Jullien and Kristoffer Ajer were struggling at the start of the season, but the signing of Duffy, along with Lennon’s decision to switch to a back three, has mended the situation to a certain extent. His presence at the heart of that three will be crucial to the Celts achieving their goals this season.
