Scottish Premiership outfit Celtic haven’t been very busy in beefing up their arsenal this summer. The Celts have made merely three significant signings in the shapes of Kundai Benyu, Olivier Ntcham and Jonny Hayes while their arch rivals Rangers have left no stone unturned in order to uplift the quality of their squad and impose themselves as a serious title contender for domestic silverwares.
From what has transpired so far during the summer transfer window, it has been evident that Brendan Rodgers is counting on the cohesiveness of his team which enabled Celtic to clinch the domestic treble last season. However, the squad depth of the Hoops is going to be tested this season as they have progressed to the group stages of the Champions League and have domestic commitments to cater to as well.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have three other quality sides, namely, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht to lock horns with in the group stages and it goes without saying that they would have to chisel something spectacular and magical to pave their way to the knock-out round. The transfer window is in its final days and the former Liverpool boss has been left with a massive blow in terms of his recruitment aspirations.
According to one of the latest reports by BBC which came out earlier today, the move of the Bhoys in order to lure Ajax Cape Town’s young centre-back Rivaldo Coetzee to the Celtic Park has fallen through after he failed a medical, owing to his problem with his right foot. Coetzee was heavily linked to Celtic, but as it stands, a move for the South African international seems unlikely to materialize.
The Glasgow giants do need a decent centre-back as Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko are still sidelined owing to their knee injury. Midfielder Nir Bitton has been forced to operate from the heart of Celtic’s defence and after their 4-3 loss against FC Astana in the second leg of Champions League play-offs followed by their 1-1 draw against St Johnstone on Saturday, their defensive frailties have surfaced.
Coetzee could have been a smart addition to the ranks of Celtic, for he is one of the hottest prospects in African football owing to his shrewd tackling and intercepting skills. Besides, he is someone who doesn’t refrain from getting into tight circumstances and his addition could have helped the reigning Scottish top flight champions in meeting their defensive needs in a better manner.
