It’s the 7th of January, and all we have is rumours about players moving to Celtic. What’s going on?
Eric Knott 
DeFodi Images/DeFodi Images/Getty Images
So, the first week of January is almost over, and on the transfer front, all we have is a couple of rumours.
The Scott McKenna rumour was exactly that, a rumour.
There was nothing nothing to it, and McKenna certainly won’t be moving to Celtic.
The other rumour, well, that one has been doing the rounds since November.
I reported on Tiago Araújo in an article on the 29th of November, in the aftermath of our loss to Lazio in the Champions League.
In it, I stated that at 22 years of age, the pursuit of Araújo screamed project.
I haven’t altered my stance on that.
So, in a transfer window where we’re supposed to be in pursuit of “quality” players, thus far, Araújo seems to be the extent of our ambition.
I know there are another 3 weeks left in this window, but the last thing we need is a situation where we’re scrambling around for loans and projects as the window draws to a close.
We’ve seen that car crash many times before at Celtic.
If Mark Lawwell wants to redeem his reputation as head of recruitment, then we really need to start seeing some movement.
Some ambition.
Almost a full week has been wasted already.
The Ibrox side already have Fabio Silva in the door.
He has already featured for them in their game against Kilmarnock.
They are reported to be looking at Josh Doig at Verona, and Lawrence Shankland at Hearts.
And while Scott McKenna is not a Celtic target, he is now reported to be an Ibrox target.
We’re looking at Tiago Araújo since November.
At the risk of repeating myself, it doesn’t exactly fill you full of enthusiasm, does it?
What exactly is Mark Lawwell doing at Celtic?
Is he having an extended Christmas holiday until Monday the 8th?
Or is he working away behind the scenes to bring in the quality Brendan Rodgers requires?
I guess there’s no way of knowing, is there?
Since nobody is reporting anything.
Not even the usual reliable source.
We’ve heard nothing from Stephen McGowan regarding transfers.
Being honest, I’m starting to get that usual sinking feeling about the transfer window already.
I know that might sound premature, but can you blame me?
Our main rivals are showing a hell of a lot more ambition in this window than we are.
In my article after the Glasgow Derby win, I stated that this was not the time for complacency.
Listening to the Celtic podcasts and reading articles in the blogosphere, everybody is of the same opinion.
Everybody says that the win against the Ibrox side should not be seen as a free pass for the Celtic board.
I’m beginning to get the feeling they’ve seen it as such.
Why else would there be no movement whatsoever at this point?
Not even a decent rumour to sink our teeth into?
Do you have faith in our board that they might be hard at work behind the scenes on multiple high quality targets?
No, I didn’t think so.
Brendan Rodgers hasn’t exactly been waxing lyrical about “quality signings” either in his press conferences lately, has he?
So, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting that horrible deja-vu feeling I get every January transfer window.
In recent years, we’ve only seen one decent transfer window in January, and that was in 2022.
Before the window opened, we had Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, and Yosuke Ideguchi in the door.
By the time it closed, we had Matt O’Reilly secured as well.
Looking at the impact those three players still have on our first team, that has to go down as one of the most successful January windows in recent times.
But as things go with Celtic, we can well and truly term that window as an anomaly.
Since then, it’s as you were.
One of two things is going to happen in this window.
We’re either going to be blown away by it, or completely underwhelmed.
My money is on the latter.
Why?
Because as long as the grey men are in charge of this club, nothing will change.
Call it deja-vu, call it Groundhog day, call it whatever you like, but it never changes.
Thus far, it looks like we’re in for more of the same this window.
Shock, horror.
Not.
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair 
The fans have been short changed for years by the club. Yes some players wouldn’t even consider coming to play in our league but is it any worse than some of the other leagues throughout Europe. Copenhagen is an example of excellent recruitment. Ours has been scatter gun with only the odd decent player coming in. We seem to favour quantity over quality and that will never work. We are paying good money to players that should be nowhere near our team. The board have to stop looking at a bloated balance sheet and buy proper players that can get us onto the next level. The fans deserve this, anything less is a failure, plain and simple. Will this happen, I very much doubt it.
Strange how you find the January window of 2022 such a successful one, especially when it was full of these so called project signings?
The fascination we have about so called projects is unreal,especially when playing regular 1st team football before even joining ourselves?
Is Scottish football regarded that highly in European terms now?
And how much money is expected to be paid in order to strengthen in what particular areas within the team now?
Thought the LB and keeper position would have been addressed in the summer, but it wasn’t, so will it be done in January when harder to require the quality Rodgers is looking for?
Another potential striker would make sense, but how much game time can be offered to this so called quality striker?
We haven’t got the attraction of European football on offer now either, so will that limit the amount of options in players available and actually wanting to sign for ourselves?
Way to many questions arise during January and all without any easy answers either imo.
We aren’t really a club that has to enter the loan market without the option to buy, so again reduces the amount of players that may be available also, especially when so much focus upon quality and yet our track record with players with experience and so called quality has been pretty appalling over the past number of years, and Philips only adding to the list this season imo?
Hopefully it will unfold well enough during January, but also don’t believe we need to add to secure this title by adding panic signings either?
Still relaxed enough about the whole process which will possibly involve far more outgoings than incomings and still waiting on any outgoings to be confirmed as of yet, which I find more surprising with the amount of players we have available for a move away?
mark lawwell better be listening to Brendan Rodgers
It is time Celtic fans wake up and smell the coffee,Mark Lawwellwill never go out and sign the experienced players Celtic need, he is following in his father’s footsteps, he is only interested in paying peanuts for inexperienced players and it could cost Celtic the league. Mark Lawwell needs to leave now he is useless.
Mark Lawwell…this guy has no experience! Blatant nepotism! Get the f*** out of our club nepobaby!
I suspect Brendan Rodgers knows he will not be bringing quality in this transfer window, just as he knew that to be the case last summer. Brendan is a highly paid PR man for the suits and he knows how to phrase his language to the press to make it sound like positive things are really going to happen. I fimrly believe he’s as much a part of the problem as the Board who appointed him. This kind of nonsense did not happen under Ange Postecoglu because Ange was a straightforward manager who insisted on strengthening the squad, whatever the Board had to say about it. He was hands on in the recruitment department and a fast operator. Brendan Rodgers is the complete opposite – a company man first and a team manager second. That’s one of the main reasons why he was brought back. I’m not meaning to be cruel to Brendan by these remarks, just stating what appears now to be obvious.
Maybe it’s time for our board members to declare which football team they grew up supporting.
As it is, it’s difficult to believe that they are totally committed to complete domination of Scottish football and the riches that the champions league will bring
The mob across the city would have had their boots stamping on our throats to keep us down it the roles were reversed. Remember when Murray was rumoured to have instructed his pals at the bank to call time on our loan
calm doon men! plenty time
Was January 2022 not the last transfer window before Lawwell was given the job as Head of recruitment?
He is there to fo his Dad’s bidding because Peter Lawwell knew he would never get away with being the head of recruitment.
We might get 1 or 2 loans players from the EPL.
The board need a total clean out. We will end up losing the league and champions league football next season.
If that happens EVERY member of the board better step down
Would anyone be shocked if our board decided that we don’t need to strengthen this January considering how well we have played lately
Just because Rangers have pulled in one player it doesn’t mean we have to do the same. Although I agree the sooner we get in quality players the better so they have time to train with the first team squad before the season resumes, more importantly we need to make sure they are the right fit and ready to hit the ground running. Just buying for the sake of keeping up with “The Jones’” is not the right way to go about this window! Let’s put our trust in Brendan!
Take a day off ya clown ..people like you just want to cause trouble between fan and club.
Postecoglou signed some amount of dross as well. He signed 29 players in 2 years most of them garbage. Abildgaard, Urhogide, Shaw, Siegrist (GK), Dawson, Kobayashi, Ideguchi, ‘OH’ , Iwata, Haksabanovic, Clarke (GK), Bernabei …
Rodgers is a good manager and is paid well from Celtic to get results up to now I would say just about 6 out of 10 .He has a strong pool of players goal keeper needs addressing a better finisher than oh don’t rate him”. Don’t need any centre halves maybe a left back and a very strong midfield player and I mean strong and big .
All we can do is wait and see yep yet again wait and see…I agree with some who say the board after one shitty wee run mainly the lucky win at Park head which for first time in years I was to say least worried about..thus does the board now think aye what Brendan has should do…well think the board as well as Brendan are putting their necks out on this so called or so not Jan transfer
My guess is one permanent signing from the spl,probably Miovski and one or two loans on or around deadline day,one being a left back .Best we can hope for from that lot in this window.
If you were a genuinely gifted player would your agent suggest signing for arsenal man city or Celtic that’s the problem which is getting worse each year
Tommy McNairn IMO I think Brendan is scared to spend big money on any player for fear of getting it wrong.Where is the quality players going to come from that he wants?We could easily but Miovski,Shankland,and Van Veen to make sure if winning the league.What are they waiting for.
Same old story from us,and it won’t change any time soon with 2 lawells in place! The 4 games we won before the split is just the exuse they need to fuck about yet again! The happy clappers and KTF brigade will tell you to calm doon there’s weeks left in the window,and we are top of the league! Burying there heads in the sand as usual and just what lawell and Desmond count on! No faith at all in this club trying to progress our club.
Try this one the biggest fear the Celtic board have is not losing games or points it’s losing control are thay happy with the way Celtic are just now yes the worst thing that could happen is Celtic getting more success as that would bring attention from others possibly with much deeper pockets looking to take control just as thay have in England and that would mean thay would be out the door it’s about their ego not the team just a thought.
Think they are waiting on a new Poundland opening up in Glasgow.
I think the panic is OTT. The reason there are so many rumours is because idiots on social media throw out names with no knowledge or expertise. They have a position they want filled, a CV player they don’t like and find someone some where who fits the bill. Some good players just don’t ‘fut’ a club or cream and you don’t find that out until you try them a period. Let’s assess the success at the end of the transfer period, either way supporters cannot influence recruitment.
No signings will be made this month because we beat a crappie rangers team we don’t need new players we’ll wait until the summer then sign 5 World beaters from North Korea one being fat boy Kim to replace Joe Heart.
Why are you surprised celtic will never be a name in Europe as long as there is a Lawell at our club