Celtic is linked with another player. Will we see transfer movement this time?

Aye, here we go again. Another morning, another Celtic transfer rumour drifting across the internet like mist rolling down from the Campsies.

This time the name is Adrian Blake, the FC Utrecht winger, and the story has all the familiar ingredients: Celtic are interested, English clubs are circling, the player impressed against us in Europe, and a fee has conveniently been attached to the headline.

Sky Sports have reported that Celtic are keen on signing the 20-year-old Utrecht winger, with Burnley and Wolves also credited with an interest.

Blake is reportedly valued at around £2.5 million, and has only a year left on his contract. He is also a player Celtic fans may remember, because he scored against us at Celtic Park in January, in a Europa League match the Hoops still won 4-2.

I can almost hear the collective sigh from the Celtic support.

Is this finally a proper target, or is this another name added to the endless summer scrapbook of “monitoring”, “admiring”, “considering” and “keeping tabs on”?

That is the question now. Not whether Adrian Blake is talented. Not whether he might be interesting. Not whether the profile makes sense on paper. The question is whether Celtic are serious, or whether this is just another transfer-window story that floats around for a few days before disappearing into the Highland mist.

Because we have heard this song before.

Celtic are interested. Celtic are watching. Celtic could make a move. Celtic may test the waters. Then, somewhere down the line, the player signs elsewhere, and we are left debating whether the interest was ever concrete in the first place.

I am very careful now with these stories. I do not doubt that Celtic scout players. I do not doubt that names are discussed. I do not doubt that the recruitment department has lists, reports, profiles and opinions on dozens of potential signings. A club of Celtic’s size would be negligent if it did not.

But there is a huge difference between having a player’s name on a scouting report and actively pursuing him. Right now, Adrian Blake feels somewhere in the middle of that fog.

I can believe Celtic liked what they saw against Utrecht. Supporters certainly noticed him when he scored. I can believe the recruitment department has looked again. I can believe the price is attractive. I can believe Martin O’Neill wants more attacking quality for the title defence and for Europe.

But until bids are made, negotiations begin, or reliable reports suggest talks are advancing, I am not ready to declare this one a genuine move.

That does not mean I would turn my nose up at him. Far from it.

If Celtic are serious, Blake looks exactly the kind of player who could add freshness to the attack. He is young enough to develop, versatile enough to cover wide areas, and hungry enough to see Celtic as a major opportunity. He came through the Watford academy before moving to Utrecht in 2023, and he has since built senior experience in the Netherlands.

The Champions League pull is real as well. Playing under the lights at Paradise is not a small attraction for a young player trying to make the next leap. Celtic can offer pressure, expectation, European football and a stage far bigger than many people outside Scotland care to admit.

Yet this is where the wider picture matters more than one name. Celtic have already moved in some areas. Camilo Duran has arrived as fresh blood up front. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been brought in. Kelechi Iheanacho may yet stay. Professional coaches have been added behind the scenes. Those are positive steps.

But every Celtic supporter looking honestly at this squad knows the same thing.

It is not enough yet. One striker does not solve everything.

One winger, even if Blake arrived, would not solve everything either. Celtic still need depth, competition and quality across several areas. The attack needs more unpredictability. Midfield needs energy and options. Defence needs strengthening. The wide areas need genuine competition on both sides.

And if we are serious about Europe, we need players who can step into Champions League nights without looking overwhelmed.

That is why I cannot get carried away by one rumour. The squad still feels like a house where the front door has been painted, but several rooms are unfinished.

I do think Martin O’Neill understands the scale of the job. He has brought calm back. He has brought belief back. But belief alone does not win another title or make a dent in Europe. The squad needs to be reinforced properly, not just patched up with hopeful headlines.

So where does Adrian Blake fit into all of this?

If I am honest, my prediction is this: the interest may well be real, but the pursuit may not yet be advanced. I can see Celtic scouting him. I can see internal discussions. I can see the attraction of the price. I can see why supporters would be excited by the idea of another young attacking player arriving at Paradise.

But I can also see the familiar pattern where Celtic are linked, the story circulates for a week, and then attention moves on to the next name.

The real test is simple. Do Celtic act?

Do they make contact with Utrecht? Do they put an offer on the table? Do they move before Burnley or Wolves decide to be serious? Do they show that this is more than admiration from afar?

If the answer is yes, then Adrian Blake could be a very smart addition. If the answer is no, then this is another chapter in the long Celtic summer novel of possibilities.

And my Ginger Witch instincts? They are somewhere between cautious and hopeful. I do not dismiss the rumour. I do not fully trust it either. I think there is smoke here, but I am not yet convinced there is fire.

If Adrian Blake is the answer, stop admiring him and act. And if he is not the answer, find the player who is. Because the transfer window is already too far advanced for this club to continue its foot dragging and time wasting.

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