Celtic could reportedly now complete the signing of an “excellent” player this summer, having missed out on snapping him up in the January transfer window.
Celtic eye signings amid doubts over Rodgers’ future
The Hoops are preparing to make the trip to St Johnstone this weekend, as they look to go one step closer to Scottish Premiership title glory. They have a 13-point lead over Rangers currently, so it surely feels like a matter of time until they are once again crowned champions.
In terms of potential summer signings to further bolster Brendan Rodgers‘ squad, Celtic are believed to be pushing to sign Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha, with the manager a big fan of him.
Speaking of Rodgers, one new report that has emerged has claimed that he “could quit” the Hoops at the end of the season, amid possible interest from clubs in the Premier League.
It is stated that the 52-year-old is “content at Parkhead as things stand”, but there doesn’t appear to be any guarantee that he will be in charge of Celtic when next season gets underway, especially if he does not receive backing in the transfer market.
Celtic plan to back the boss with £4.2m long-term target
According to TuttoMercatoWeb [via Sport Witness], there is still belief that Celtic could sign David Strelec from Slovan Bratislava this summer. The Hoops attempted to sign him at the eleventh hour in the January window, but were unable to entice him to the club midway through the season.
The 24-year-old could be available for as little as £4.2m at the end of the season though, potentially rising to £5.9m, with offers expected to come his way.
Strelec could be a potent addition to Celtic’s attack, which is needed after the surprise departure of Kyogo Furuhashi back in January. The Slovakian has enjoyed an impressive season for Bratislava, scoring three times in the Champions League qualifiers before also finding the net twice in the main competition itself.
Strelec has proven his worth at international level, too, scoring seven goals in 28 caps for Slovakia, while scout/writer Jacek Kulig has hailed him as an “excellent” player.
The striker ticks so many boxes for Celtic, at a time when Rodgers will want more firepower added to his squad, not least his age. Strelec turned 24 on Friday, meaning he now has plenty of experience at a good level, but is still a young player whose peak shouldn’t arrive for another few years.
