Today there are two very encouraging Celtic transfer reports.
The first involves that problematic right back role and the other – hallelujah – involves a striker.
Both involve playing a transfer fee. If these are accurate reports, they suggest that we might just be ramping up the business in the market, and not a moment too soon either.
Let’s take the right back first; this is our problem child area, the part of the team most in need of a shot in the arm, the part of the team where the need is most obvious and has been for the longest time. No harm to Ralston, but most people are desperate to see what we pull off here as the long-term solution to a problem that has haunted us.
Encouragingly, the right back seems to be Juranovic of Legia Warsaw.
In spite of us having the Man City loanee in the stands at the weekend, the first choice seems to be the Croat, and he’s the one most of the fans want to see signed as his pedigree is first rate.
Our first offer has been turned down – of course – but we’re not giving up on it. We know what’s likely an acceptable fee, and the sooner we get close to it and give them something to think about the better.
We have messed about long enough.
The striker news is encouraging; his name is Georgios Giakoumakis; he’s Greek, the manager rates him and he finished the top scorer in the Dutch league last season, although his team got relegated.
He’s 26, and 6’1. The reason more clubs aren’t sniffing around him is that his record prior to last season doesn’t leap off the page at you.
We’ll see if there’s something in that, but I’m encouraged that we’re moving finally for someone in this area of the pitch and not just waiting on Edouard.
Overall it’s good to be able to write some good rumour stories which don’t sound outlandish or ridiculous.
These are both viable options. They are affordable options.
They are clearly players who the manager has signed off on, as opposed to ex-Man City projects being thrown our way by the Friends of The Man.
So let’s just wait and see where this is all going. If these guys are our targets and the club moves its backside, this will be yet another evolution in the first team squad.
There are two more weeks to go folks.
The Rumour Guy is a Celtic fan and blogger from Glasgow.