Other than two areas of concern – our European squad and the over-representation of players who will be away for two months at the Asian Cup – I have been, and remain, pretty relaxed over this summer’s transfer business so far. I’ll write about that later on in another article, as it’s a subject which keeps on popping up in the pro-Ibrox media.
Nevertheless, we can all look at the squad and see that there are areas of concern. The first one being the defence. It’s not that we have bad players in defence, it’s just that we’re in the midst of a serious injury issue involving two of our best footballers there, Carter Vickers and Johnston, and we look a lot less stable without them in the side.
We badly need another player at central defence.
Today the stories in the media suggest that we might be on the verge of signing one. I would not be particularly impressed if these stories were being written by our domestic hacks, who don’t have a clue what Celtic is up to as I said yesterday; these stories are coming from the media in Poland, and elsewhere, and that means we can take them a little bit more seriously.
The talk is of serious money being on the table too – £4 million for the Polish under 21 central defender Maik Nawrocki. I have no idea whether this guy is the real deal or not but we’ve not done too badly recently when it comes to identifying players and if we’re spending that kind of cash then there’s not really that much doubt in the minds of people inside the club.
This feels like something that might be real.
This could be the move we’ve been waiting for.
I know a lot of us will breathe a big sigh of relief when we get a defensive signing over the line, because it’s the one obvious position that’s been crying out for it along with the one between the sticks and there is talk of movement on that front as well, just rumours and vapours right now but the club’s interest in finding a new keeper is real and with Hart out of contract at the end of the current campaign it is a move that makes nothing but good sense.
So does this. A central defender is just what we’ve been looking for, and it’s good money which should put at ease some of the people who have suggested – foolishly, wrongly – that we’ve done nothing in this window yet.
I hope this is accurate and that we get it done.