Celtic will make one area of the pitch a priority when it comes to new signings during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.
Celtic transfer news & title hopes
The Hoops are part of what looks set to be a fascinating Scottish Premiership title race this season, sitting three points ahead of rivals Rangers, who do admittedly have a game in hand. Brendan Rodgers‘ side could still be the favourites to go all the way currently, given their recent success in the division, but they will know that any slip-ups in the coming months could prove to be fatal.
New signings may well be needed at the end of the campaign, regardless of who wins the title, and Celtic have been linked with a move for Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski, who has scored 13 goals in 23 league appearances this season.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Scott McKenna also emerged as a rumoured target for the Hoops at the end of January, and while he joined FC Copenhagen on loan instead, he could still be an option in the summer.
Celtic targeting left-back this summer
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that a new left-back is a “top target” for Celtic this summer, seeing it as the most important position to strengthen in.
“As you look at it right now, you would say that left-back will be the top target for the summer window. But you’re also wondering what situation Celtic will even be in by then. At the beginning of January, I thought this was going to be a strengthening job to make sure they can hold Rangers off in terms of a title challenge. But here we are the start of February, and Rangers are firmly back in the title challenge.
“I think that there is plenty of time for the scope to change around transfers and also for Brendan Rodgers to totally win everybody over. There are certainly going to be some question marks about the results of recent times.”
Left-back does definitely feel like a position that could be improved upon at Celtic this summer, in order to take Rodgers’ side up another gear. Greg Taylor is clearly a good option there, making 157 appearances and counting, but he is currently out injured and is out of contract next year, so there is no guarantee that he will sign an extension.
Meanwhile, Alexandro Bernabei has only started three Scottish Premiership games this season and is still a relatively unproven option, so it could be that Rodgers wants to sign someone who can push Taylor harder to regular minutes, allowing him to rotate more effectively in the process.
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Celtic could be set to return for a previous transfer target this summer.
For now, though, it is a case of focusing on on-pitch matters and ensuring that another league title heads to Parkhead this season, with some recent results giving Rangers hope, allowing them to close the gap on their adversaries.