The Celtic transfer cycle is certainly up and running, after weeks of silence and guesswork Brendan Rodgers is back in the spotlight with transfer activities the main focus after pre-season friendlies.
In terms of done and dusted deals only the arrival of Hayato Inamura has been completed over the last few days with the Celtic boss less than thrilled by the arrival of a Japanese defender.
That deal was announced in the lead up to Friday’s friendly against Queens Park, while Rodgers was in harmony with the club announcement after the win at the City Stadium it was clear that working with Inamura isn’t a priority for the Celtic manager.
Asked if the 23-year-old would be part of his first team plans Rodgers told the Daily Record:
No, he won’t be. He’s, again, a part of the investment of the club. To bring a player in, we’ll assess and see where he’s at as a young player. And then it’s whether he stays with the squad or whether he has to go out on loan.
While that deal got over the line the much anticipated transfer of Nicolas Kuhn to Como moved a few steps closer.
On Monday it was smiles all round as he flew off to Italy to undergo a medical and complete his move to Serie A.
Rodgers has the issue now of finding Kuhn’s replacement, it seems that a return trip to Rapid Vienna could be the solution with Isak Jannsen an option while speculation over a move for Michel-Ange Balikwisha intensifies.
🚨Michel Ange Balikwisha deal almost done.
Royal Antwerp pushing the move to be finished quickly as they need the money to be spent on re-inforcements.
Reported by @voetbalkrant (Belgian Paper) pic.twitter.com/JuS2J9zqp3
— Nathan (@nathangreennn) July 7, 2025
Interest in Balikwisha has been running for at least a year, with his Antwerp contract expiring in June 2026 his departure is expected this summer.
Celtic have made an enquiry for Napoli striker Giuseppe Ambrosino.
It’s understood the Hoops are exploring the conditions of a loan deal, with an option to buy, for the Italy U21 international.
Ambrosino, 21, is said to be keen on a move to #CelticFC.
(w/@LucaBendoni) pic.twitter.com/2QGVUEAdtU
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) July 7, 2025
Ambrosino has emerged from left-field, a current Italian u-21 international striker, with Johnny Kenny and Callum Osmond at the club Celtic seem well stocked for young strikers.
Celtic will drag it out until the last week of the window then put in a cheeky 4.5million bid which will be soundly rejected then we will sign a few project players for 1-2 million it’s what’s known as the Lawwell special.
— JoshR92 (@R92Josh71035) July 7, 2025
After Boli Bolingoli Celtic struck gold when they returned to Rapid Vienna for Kuhn. Jannsen replaced Kuhn for the Austrians, there seems to be a decent chance that he could be about to make the same forward move on to Celtic
Whatever happens there are three distinct areas that Celtic fans are wanting to see improvements in:
Recruit better, first team ready players
All of the data is out there, agents are buzzing around drumming up business with players surely attracted to a club that impressed in the 2024/25 Champions League and is one Play Off tie away from the 25/26 competition and the real prospect of 10 very meaningful, high profile matches.
Retain the main players, the backbone of recent successes
Celtic fans are used to seeing players move on with Jota, Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi sold over the last four windows- the creative guts of the season 22/23 treble winners. Jota has returned but Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers based on their Champions League displays will have clubs thinking over making offers, when the price is right Celtic love to sell.
One departure seems inevitable, two would become high risk with recruitment since the brilliant deals of Ange Postecoglou and Frank Trimboli in season 21/22 at best questionable.
Get rid of the deadwood
Possibly the hardest task of all, effectively the job lot of sub-standard arrivals brought in by Mark Lawwell in the summer of 2023.
Those seven signings contributed only 13 starting appearances in last season’s SPFL Premiership with most of them coming down to Yang Hyun-jun. If Marco Tilio, Luis Palma, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Odin Tiago Holm can be removed it would free up squad space and reduce wage costs, Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki have moved on with a fee of around £2m expected for the Swede, Nawrocki’s move is on loan.
Who is Celtic’s number one transfer target?
Without question Lennon Miller really has to be Celtic’s priority signing.
After two seasons at Motherwell and with one season left on his contract it seems inevitable that the midfielder will be moving on before the end of August.
Miller was a one stage in the Celtic Academy but opted to move to Motherwell- no one can deny that it was a wise choice with 76 first team appearances while Celtic equivalents have been treading water in the Lowland League.
There is a sweet spot in players’ careers, Miller is at that point just now with a step up required, another season at Fir Park could see his career stagnate, moving abroad carries a higher element of risk than moving to Celtic and working under Rodgers.
With talents like O’Riley, Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong at Celtic Rodgers has shown himself very capable of developing talent as recognised by Brighton, Bournemouth and Southampton, three clubs that do their homework before reaching for the cheque book.
Rodgers has previously complimented Miller, convincing Michael Nicholson that the midfielder is a worthwhile investment is another matter and could have a bearing on the future of the manager. Fans will be hoping that it isn’t John McGinn II.
The manager is of course under contract until June 2026, many fans will relate the level of transfer activity to the prospects of the Irishman extending his stay as manager.
Money is the main motivating factor in most transfers but closely behind that is playing position and likely playing time which is all related to the situation of the manager.
Rodgers knows the terrain better than anyone, the events of season 2018/19 leading up to his departure to Leicester won’t be forgotten but Rodgers II is a more reflective, diplomatic character than the guy that turned the club around, normalising Trebles from his arrival in May 2016, indirectly influencing a cup final the day after his appointment was announced.
Paul Tisdale does have a still undefined role in transfer activity but with every piece of transfer activity it will be the role of Rodgers and his comments that will be examined most closely.
Where are Celtic looking to strengthen?
Despite recent success there is a need for almost all areas to be strengthened. A striker is badly needed after the sale of Kyogo, injury to Jota and the expected sale of Kuhn means that at least one, probably two wingers are required.
Midfield is reasonably covered, in defence a left-sided Carter-Vickers would be very welcome alongside a ready-to-play back up to Kieran Tierney.
What deals have been done?
Kieran Tierney Ross Doohan, Njgren Inamura and Osmond have been announced by the club with Taylor, Scott Bain, Daniel Cummings and Nawrocki moving out, all on permanent deals with the exception of Nawrocki’s loan deal to Hannover 96.
Who to follow for Celtic transfer news?
Stephen McGowan, now part of Newsquest which covers The Herald, Celtic Way and Glasgow Times is the number one authority on Celtic transfer activity with a record stretching back 20 years.
David Friel, like McGowan a former Celtic View reporter now at The Sun tends to get far more right than wrong, he knew all about Neil Lennon’s sacking in February 2021, well before the Stock Market announcement. Very, very few were in on that.
Scott Burns at the Daily Record has decent contacts among football agents, he can get carried away on matters at Ibrox but does have a decent track record on matters in and out of Celtic Park.
On Twitter Celtic Gossip has over 76,000 followers, when things are happening or being reported Celtic Gossip are quickly on the case as is Everything Celtic with a similar number of followers on Twitter.
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