Celts Set for Exciting Summer of Transfers – Despite the disappointing shock defeat to bottom of the table St Johnstone, Celtic are still just two victories away from another league title. A chance to avenge the defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-finals could set up a treble, but many fans are already looking towards the summer transfer market to see how the team can be improved.
Fans checking the top UK sportsbooks and betting sites not on Gamstop, which offer an extensive range of competitive betting markets, will struggle to find much value for this season. Celtic is the 4/11 favourite for he cup and 1/1000 favourite for the league.
In-form Daizen Maeda is even the 11/8 favourite to finish as the league’s top scorer, but the Summer should see a lot of changes that could lead to a more exciting title race next season.
With Rangers set for potential US investment, Celtic will have to continue strengthening their squad, and there has already been some talk about more ex-Celts joining Jota by returning.
The club will let full-back Greg Taylor leave when his contract expires, and loanee Jeffrey Schlupp will also return to his parent club, Crystal Palace. Reo Hatate has also been linked with a move away, with the midfielder set to earn an excellent profit for a player who arrived for less than £1.5 million from Kawasaki Frontale.
Adam Idah could also be looking to move after struggling for minutes following his big-money transfer. However, at just 24, the player still has a lot to offer and would be a valuable member of the squad if he plans to stick around and fight for his place.
Despite the threat of losing key players, there has also been talk about returns for two former Celts who left for big transfer fees and could make a return for great value.
Jota’s return saw the club welcome a talented player who left for around £25 million and return for under £8 million. This great piece of business could be about to happen again with fan-favourite Kyogo struggling to fit in at Rennes.
He joined the French club in January for a fee of around £10 million before manager Jorge Sampaoli was axed just days later. The Argentinian coach has since gone on to say he had no part in the transfer, claiming he felt the club needed to strengthen in other positions.
He has already been linked with a move back, and Celtic would be hopeful of a cut-price deal to end the Japanese star’s French nightmare.
Another player to be linked with a return to Celtic, albeit not a permanent one, is Matt O’Riley, who was unlucky to be injured on his debut at Brighton and struggled to get playing time since his return. Bought for £1.5 million and sold for a deal worth around £30 million, a loan return could be another great bit of business for the club.
These deals could leave Brendan Rodgers with a good amount to spend to strengthen elsewhere, with exciting Motherwell prospect Lennon Miller someone who could add long-term quality to the team.
