Celtic knows what Taylor is going to do. That’s why we’re watching people.

Ninety per cent of the time, the media does not know what Celtic is doing. Ninety per cent of the time, what you read in the mainstream press is guesswork—or worse, pure drivel. Unadulterated BS.

But that rare occasion, that one per cent of the time, when they do know more than the average fan? That’s usually because they have access to better sources of information than most of us do. And because some of them, at least, know what to look for.

Speculation continues to swirl around the future of Greg Taylor. And I get why. Greg has been a stalwart of this team.

If we can keep him for another couple of years, especially whilst we also have Tierney at the club, that gives us not only a very good left back but a capable and proven backup as well. We know what Taylor’s got. We know what Taylor can do. Over a 38-game league campaign, Taylor will do a fine job on Celtic’s behalf.

But we also know—and Taylor himself knows—that he doesn’t really have much of a future here if Tierney stays fit.

Greg’s role would be to come on as a substitute or play in games where we want to rest Tierney. And Greg might be at that stage in his career where he believes that his achievements and performances are worthy of a place where he starts every single week. It may not even be about money—although I suspect he could earn more, and walk into more security, by going somewhere else.

Celtic have talked a very good game when it comes to Greg. The manager has walked a difficult path and handled it very well. But I suspect we already know what Greg Taylor’s intentions are. I suspect that Greg will go. And if he does go, he’ll leave with the best wishes of every single supporter.

This is why there are reports that we’ve opened talks with Jeffrey Schlupp about staying another year. But there are also reports that we are looking at alternatives—and that’s interesting.

One of the ways the media identifies the players we’re after is that clubs keep records of who attends their fixtures. In the main stand. They track whether other clubs are represented—be it managers, coaches or scouts.

I suspect that’s where the story about us being interested in Peterborough’s young left-back has come from.

I don’t know whether Harley Mills is a good player or not, or whether he’ll turn out to be a good signing if we decide to make a move for him.

But I am encouraged if, in fact, we are looking at him—and others. It means we are taking Taylor’s likely departure seriously. It means we’re not just going to slap a loanee into the side to paper over the cracks.

If I had concerns about Schlupp, it was exactly that—that we’d be slapping on a sticking plaster over a problem that needs a proper fix. And I think, frankly, that for far too long Celtic have gone down that road. Not that I wouldn’t take Schlupp, by the way. If it’s him or some wild flaky punt, I’d take him all day long.

The thing about Mills is that he’s 19 and nearly out of contract. In fact, his deal runs out at the same time as Taylor’s, which means he’ll be available on a free.

If we were to bring in both Schlupp and Mills, that gives us not only cover, but a development opportunity. Mills could eventually replace Schlupp, and then potentially become Tierney’s replacement down the line.

If that sounds a bit too much like joined-up thinking for Celtic, well, I’m with you all the way. But it is the kind of thing Brendan Rodgers has talked about from time to time—and it’s exactly the kind of thing we should be doing.

I think Brendan’s known for a while that Taylor is going to leave. He’s done everything he can, publicly at least, to keep the idea alive that we still have a chance of keeping the boy here. But behind the scenes, the work to replace Greg Taylor—both short and long-term—must be underway. It’s inconceivable that he hasn’t already sat Greg down and gotten a definitive answer. It’s inconceivable that he hasn’t told the scouts: “Find me a left back.” Rodgers is too savvy not to have done that.

So the Mills story ticks a lot of boxes. It’s a Bosman signing—which, as I’ve said over and over again, is something this club should be far more aggressive about pursuing. It’s a Bosman deal for a player of the right age, and in the right position. And it’s obvious the reports haven’t come out of thin air. If we’ve sent scouts to watch this guy, that fact will be in the public domain.

The fact that he stood out in the final of the English Football League Cup, against Chris Davies’ title-winning Birmingham side, will not have gone unnoticed. That may even have been the moment when Rodgers picked up the phone and asked Davies how good the kid is—and then dispatched the scouts down south.

Mills will have options. But going from a club like Peterborough to a club like Celtic in one giant stride is probably as good an offer as he’ll get.

The finances might not be as lucrative as he’d get from an English Championship side—but the opportunity to be part of something big at Celtic Park, to play regular European football, maybe even in the Champions League? That’s a hard offer to turn down, even if it means being patient at the start.

There are transfer stories that sound like rumours, and some that sound like outright BS. This is not one of them. This makes sense. It’s smart business, and there’s no major fee attached to it. Some have said £1 million, but that’s what Fulham reportedly offered and were turned down. By the time his contract expires, Peterborough will be lucky to get a third of that in cross-border training compensation.

As I’ve said before, this window is going to be interesting. There’s going to be a lot of movement, in and out. And we need to be doing our business a little bit faster, and with a bit more certainty, than we have in recent years.

It would be good to think this is the start of that process.