Four days on from losing the Scottish Cup Final speculation is underway over Celtic’s likely summer transfer activity.
Without Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Reo Hatate there was a real lack of creativity in the Hampden squad which should be addressed over the coming months.
There is however a huge gulf between the expectations of many Celtic fans and the way that the club operates.
Regardless of how much money is in the bank account it seems that players always have to be sold before money is spent to refresh the squad.
Back in 2021 the transfer of Kris Ajer to Brentford triggered the signings of Carl Starfelt, Joe Hart and Josip Juranovic. Later in that window Odsonne Edouard’s deadline day deal to Crystal Palace was matched by the arrivals of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Giorgos Giakoumakis with Jota signing on loan.
Last summer the laboured returns of Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah were completed after the squad returned from pre-season training in the USA, once Matt O’Riley’s anticipated move to Brighton was completed Arne Engels, Auston Trusty and Luke McCowan arrived on deadline day.
With Brendan Rodgers in the final year of his contract and a Champions League Play Off to be negotiated there should be an element or urgency about activity over the next six weeks- unfortunately those factors can also be put up as an argument not to spend ahead of the wettest, rainiest day.
One of the first transfer stories to emerge was very low key, from two trusted and reliable sources.
When Stephen McGowan and Anthony Joseph come up with the same story you can as good as take it to the bank.
Out of contract Ross Doohan appears to be returning to Celtic with Scott Bain being released with a year left on his contact, a switch in third choice goalkeeper with an additional UEFA box ticked since Doohan counts as club trained.
Should he be involved in European matches next season it will be a cause for concern.
パリSGが小杉獲りへ! スウェーデンで活躍、U20日本代表の“強心臓DF” セルティックなども興味 – スポニチ Sponichi Annex サッカー https://t.co/PdNYHtQG2U
— スポニチ･サッカー取材班 (@sponichisoccer) May 27, 2025
Paris Saint-Germain to acquire Kosugi! A strong-hearted defender who played in Sweden and is a member of the U20 Japan national team. Celtic and others are also interested – Sponichi Annex Soccer
Of more interest than the Doohan/Bain issue is link to Keita Kosugi of Djurgarden, when a story comes from a Japanese source it carries more substance than anything from Turkey/Football Insider/Teamtalk.
Kosugi has yet to pick up a full cap for Japan but moving to Sweden at the age of 18 shows confidence and ambition, just over a year from that switch he appears to have developed in a similar way to Jeremy Frimpong when he joined Celtic from Manchester City.
With Kieran Tierney returning to Celtic another left-back doesn’t appear to be a priority when another striker, winger, central defender and creative midfielder seem to be more urgent needs.
Japanese website Sponachi reports:
Kosugi, who mainly plays as a left back, is known for his speed and strength in one-on-one play. He grew up in Shonan’s youth academy and joined Djurgården in March last year without being promoted to the top team. His strong heart is also a weapon, and he made his professional debut in May of the same year and became a regular player.
This season in the Europa Conference League, he played in 11 games and scored two goals, helping the team reach the semi-finals, demonstrating his full potential on the European stage.
This season, PSG won the league and the French Cup for the fourth consecutive year. They are aiming for a treble in the European Champions League. Kosugi has long been aiming to transfer to a big club and win the Champions League, and multiple clubs, including Celtic and Serie A powerhouse Atalanta, have shown interest in him, leading to a fierce battle for him. Attention is focused on the decision of this young hopeful, who could have been selected for the national team for the first time in next month’s World Cup qualifiers.
Keita Kosugi Born March 18, 2006 (Heisei 18), 19 years old, from Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Started playing soccer seriously at Nishi Kamakura SC, a local club, and played for Shonan U-15 and U-18. Joined Swedish first division club Djurgården in March 2012. Selected for the Japanese national team in each age group from the U-15 generation. Participated in the U-17 World Cup in 2011. 172 cm, 69 kg. Dominant foot is left.
The prospect of first team football will likely be a priority for Kosugi, that is unlikely at PSG or Atalanta but Tierney is a serious roadblock for any young left-back at Celtic.
Even younger that Kosugi, Celtic are reported to have had an undisclosed bid for Veljko Milosavljevic of Red Star Belgrade turned down.
The defender will be 18 in a months time has just 14 appearances in the Serbian League but seems to be attracting serious interest with Serbia and Croatia possibly the most heavily scouted leagues in Europe.
It is difficult to see an 18-year-old central defender stepping into the Celtic side for Champions League Play Off ties at the end of August but Serbian site Nogomania reports:
Crvena zvezda have rejected a formal offer from Celtic for promising young centre-back Veljko Milosavljević, according to Meridian Sport. The Serbian teenager, born in 2007, has become one of the most sought-after young defenders in Europe following a standout spring campaign.
The bid from the Scottish champions was deemed insufficient by the Belgrade-based club, who reportedly believe they can command a higher fee for their rising star. Milosavljević is also attracting serious interest from Everton and Paris Saint-Germain, both of whom have been closely scouting the 17-year-old.
Zvezda are now facing a decision: whether to sell this summer or wait until the winter window in hopes of increasing his value. The club’s internal goal, according to sources, is to secure a transfer fee in the region of €10 million—a considerable sum for a player who has yet to make his full professional breakthrough abroad.
Milosavljević’s rapid development and composed performances have caught the attention of top-level clubs across Europe, positioning him as one of the most promising defensive prospects to emerge from Serbia in recent years.
In the real world there are possibly two or three genuine transfer stories a week, at a push. In the digital age publishers are under pressure to come up with three or four transfer tales a day.
That inevitably results in stories from previous windows being reheated plus desperate dives deep into the mad world of the Turkish media and foreign fan websites of the most dubious credibility.
Departing the club Greg Taylor is the only Celtic first team player out of contract.
To the surprise of no-one, Celtic are open to offers for Luis Palma, Marco Tilio, Yang Hynu-jun, Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Odin-Thiago Holm, Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki with none of those players improving since being signed up by Mark Lawwell in the summer of 2023.
Celtic 365 will drill deep into transfer stories to find out the original source, Fenerbahce will be linked with at least one player a day in the Turkish media, not just Daizen Maeda.
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- Keita Kosugi Transfermarkt profile
- Milosavljevic Transfermarkt profile
