Celtic may be sitting on a summer transfer windfall which keeps the squad intact.

Well, the summer transfer window is looming on the horizon and the Celtic gaffer has to do everything in his power to strengthen those areas in the Hoops squad that are in need of improvement, and add some fresh blood to the team. But in order to do so, he’s demanding that the upper management at Celtic back him properly.

Today he amplified on his comments after the weekend by confirming that the summer may be a rebuilding one. There seem set to be big, big changes … and he stressed, as ever, the need to keep strengthening the squad.

This summer window is going to be absolutely crucial — both in terms of squad strengthening and for the future direction of the club. I’m sure every Celtic fan agrees with me here: changes are needed. Real improvements. We should be pushing the Celtic board hard and letting them know they can’t afford to stand still. They need to step forward and show that they genuinely care about the club’s progress.

Now, let’s focus on Celtic’s potential business in the market and what the club intends to do in the months ahead. I reckon this window is going to be a busy one, because we need to focus not just on who we want to sign but when we’re doing it. Offers should be getting made now — not at the last minute, when you end up signing no one, or someone who isn’t the right calibre.

As I said in my previous article, Brendan Rodgers already has his priorities and targets lined up. He’s made it clear that a new wide player and a striker are top of the list.

There’s been talk that Celtic are actively working on a deal for a striker, and here’s what Michael Stewart – ex-Hibs and Hearts midfielder – had to say on the matter:

“If you look at the front three Celtic have at the moment, obviously there’s flexibility in there. Then you’ve got (Adam) Idah and Yang as backup… they are clearly going to go and recruit a big-name, or main, number nine striker. So if you’re selling one of the wide guys you could be signing a main striker and another winger. And possibly Celtic have shown over the years they are not frightened to sell one of their top assets at a good price and then reinvest — perhaps not all of it — but they’ve done well at then bringing in the next guy who’s going to make them some money. Still making a profit off that if you’re to sell Nicolas Kühn at a good price.”

One long-term target is Mathias Kvistgaarden — but I’m afraid that might remain a dream. His price tag is horrendously high. He fits Rodgers’ style, yes, but I don’t think his current club is going to be in any hurry to sell. Another option reportedly on Celtic’s radar is David Strelec at Slovan Bratislava.

I know a lot of fans are eagerly waiting to see Kieran Tierney return, and it looks very much like he will this summer. But he can’t do it all himself — not over a full season. It’ll be interesting to see what Rodgers does at left-back, because that area will still need strengthening.

Speaking of left-backs, let’s talk about Jeffrey Schlupp. He joined the club in February 2025 on a loan deal for the remainder of the season. His contract with Crystal Palace is due to expire, and Celtic may try to sign him on a free. They’ll need to move quickly if they want to make it happen.

Schlupp has been steady since arriving — he’s dislodged Greg Taylor, who’s heading off to Dinamo Zagreb, and he’s made 10 appearances already. In one of his interviews, Schlupp spoke warmly about Celtic, and I personally think he’ll sign a long-term deal.

Taylor is not the only one leaving, and this is where it gets interesting … and this is where we might not need the sale of a major player, like Kuhn, in order to fund our business. There are a lot of our fringe players attracting real interest.

First up is Stephen Welsh.

He’s joined Belgian Pro League side KV Mechelen on loan for the rest of the season — the club had inquired about him previously as well. Just to remind you: Welsh signed a four-year contract extension on 18 August 2023, keeping him at Celtic until 2027. But if a suitable offer arrives, I reckon he’ll go. As he put it himself:

“Mechelen have shown for some time that they would like to have me there. I want to fight my way into the team as soon as possible.”

Previous offers were in the region of £2 million. That would be hard to turn down.

Odin Thiago Holm joined Los Angeles FC on loan in January 2025 for the MLS season. He went over there to help a midfield that was reeling from Ilie Sanchez’s departure, and if LAFC offers a permanent deal, I think Holm will take it — regardless of the fact that he’s under contract with us until May 2028.

We could probably expect to net a couple of million for him as well.

Marco Tilio is currently on loan at Melbourne City, with an option to buy, and that ends in June 2025. I think he’ll leave as well. He has never looked Celtic class, and that’s a deal that I can see being done and quite possibly getting us back a seven figure fee. That would put another £1 million plus in the bank.

Then there’s Hyeok-kyu Kwon. He joined Hibernian on a season-long loan in August 2024, which expires on 31 May 2025. Kwon signed a five-year deal with us when we brought him over from K-League club Busan IPark in the summer of 2023. But again, I think he’s on his way out. His current market value sits at around €750,000. An offer in that region, and Celtic would not stand in his way.

Luis Palma’s departure is looking increasingly likely. Talk about Dynamo Kyiv is rife although that’s been denied. He’s worth £3.5 million. That loan spell he’s having at Olympiacos hasn’t gone to plan — he’s not done enough to earn a permanent move there, and he certainly can’t come home. There’s been talk of a falling-out with Rodgers over style and tactics, and that would explain a lot.

Either way, we’re not seeing him back at Parkhead but he’s sufficiently talented to net us that fee or something close to it. There will be offers. One of them will rise to the level where we can accept it without any harm to the balance sheet.

Gustaf Lagerbielke, our Swedish centre-back, is on loan at FC Twente in the Eredivisie, and his loan ends this summer. If Twente offer him a long-term deal, I think he’ll go. He’s valued at €4 million, and that deal will probably go through if their club can afford it. If they can’t I still think we could get something done there.

As for Adam Montgomery, he was loaned out to Queen’s Park in February for the remainder of the season. That’s his fifth loan away from Celtic.

He first signed professional terms in 2019, and extended them in 2021 — he’s now under contract until 2027. But if a decent offer comes in, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move on. He made his first-team debut in May 2021 in a 4–0 win over St Johnstone. He’s a versatile player — not just a left-back — and we’ll see this summer whether he’s still part of the long-term plan.

That could be a lot of money, and the pot would only go up further if this is the summer where Jeremie Frimpong finally leaves Leverkusen, which has been rumoured for a long time and could really be a nice little earner for us.

If those deals all go ahead, we’ll be sitting on an eight figure surplus before we even consider the sale of a first team star. Hatate seems the most likely to leave; even if he stays, a lot of our summer transfer business can be done out of the cash we bring in for those others. There is no need for radical surgery.

This summer is shaping up to be a very busy window for Celtic, with Rodgers looking at multiple areas for improvement, but just as important could be the players who go the other way. What will be, will be. But one thing is clear — Celtic are not frightened by the challenges ahead. I strongly believe they’ll come back stronger and with the fire to fight all the way, as champions do.

Rodgers won’t have it any other way.