Two more Celtic transfer stories … and why these might be different.

Aye, Celtic fans, here we go again.

Is it just me, or can you feel that little transfer wind beginning to blow around Parkhead?

I saw the latest news about Ermin Mahmi? and Leo Cavallius both being left out of their respective match-day squads, and immediately my Ginger Witch instincts started twitching. Now, I am not saying that two players being omitted means they are definitely Celtic-bound. I am not daft. Football doesn’t work quite that neatly.

But when two players who have only just been linked with Celtic suddenly disappear from their teams’ match-day squads on the same weekend?

Hmmmm. I am looking at that very carefully.

Both Mahmi? and Cavallius have been mentioned as Celtic targets, with Mahmi? attracting particular attention after his performances for Bosnia at this summer’s World Cup. Celtic have reportedly been gathering information about the 21-year-old attacking midfielder, while Slovan Liberec have been dealing with interest in their young star.

And then comes this. Mahmi? isn’t in the squad. Cavallius isn’t in the squad. The Celtic radar is beeping.

Before anybody starts booking the medical room at Lennoxtown for these two boys, though, let’s keep our feet on the ground. Mahmi?’s manager has already spoken about his absence; he has said the player is still at the club … but he admits that there is transfer stuff happening around him. Interesting, right?

That is hardly confirmation of a Celtic transfer. But it certainly leaves the door open.

And honestly, I quite like what I am seeing because this Celtic transfer window has started to feel very different from some of the ones I have spent far too many years watching.

You know the ones. The endless waiting. The rumours. The “Celtic are monitoring” nonsense. The player is apparently interested, then he isn’t. Another club appears. We are told Celtic have made an offer, then Celtic haven’t made an offer, and suddenly the window closes while I am sitting there with my cup of tea wondering what on earth happened.

I am hoping this time is different. Look at the players who have already arrived. Kasper Høgh came in and immediately announced himself with that stunning hat-trick. Camilo Durán has arrived. Haissem Hassan has arrived. Mika Baur has arrived.

Now we are seeing names like Mahmi? and Cavallius connected with Celtic as well. This is beginning to look like a proper rebuilding operation rather than another summer of plugging holes with sticky tape. And I absolutely love it.

Mahmi? is the one making my ginger-witch senses particularly interested.

I have to admit, Ermin Mahmi? fascinates me. He is young, attacking, technically gifted and has already experienced the kind of international stage that can tell you something about a footballer. Right age bracket. Right skills. Martin’s talk of a box-to-box midfielder could have been explicitly stated with him in mind.

Reports have suggested that Celtic have been looking into his wage demands and Slovan Liberec’s asking price, which could be somewhere around £6 million to £6.8 million. That is not pocket change. But Celtic need to stop thinking only about today.

I want Celtic buying players who can become worth considerably more tomorrow, and that is where I think Mahmi? could become very interesting.

The fact that he has reportedly rejected other opportunities makes me even more curious. There have been reports of interest from clubs including Besiktas, Basel and Salzburg, yet Celtic remain among the clubs being linked with him.

So why Celtic? Why Glasgow? Why Paradise? Well, Mr Mahmi?, come and see for yourself. Come and feel what Celtic Park sounds like on a European night. Come and hear 60,00 people singing. Come and discover what happens when you pull on that famous green-and-white jersey. My Ginger Witch spell has already been cast for you.

And then there is Cavallius, and I am equally intrigued.

Celtic have been looking for another goalkeeper, and the 21-year-old Swedish stopper has emerged as one of the names on the radar. Reports indicate that Celtic have scouted him and are interested in bringing him to Glasgow to compete for the position.

And then suddenly he doesn’t feature for Brommapojkarna.

Interesting. Very interesting.

Again, I am not going to sit here and declare that he is already a Celtic player. That would be ridiculous. But football has its little whispers, and sometimes those whispers become very loud. What I particularly like is that Celtic seem to be looking at competition rather than simply filling squad numbers.

That matters. If Martin O’Neill wants another goalkeeper, give him another goalkeeper. If he wants more quality in midfield and attacking areas, give him those players too. This squad needs to be built for Europe, not merely patched together to win another domestic title.

Maybe I am reading too much into two missing names. Maybe both players were simply rested. Maybe there is absolutely nothing Celtic-related happening behind the scenes. Football can be cruel like that. We get our hopes up and these things don’t come off.

But I have been watching Celtic long enough to recognise when the transfer wind starts changing direction, and right now my ginger-witch brain is definitely connecting a few dots. Mahmi? and Cavallius being left out on the very weekend that their Celtic links are gathering momentum, and with our Champions League deadline fast approaching, is exactly the sort of coincidence that makes supporters sit up and pay attention.

And I am going to enjoy every second of it if these come off.

Because after all the frustration, all the moaning, all the waiting and all those moments when I wondered whether Celtic would actually get serious in this transfer window, I finally feel as though the picture has changed. The quality is coming through the door. The squad is changing. The competition is increasing.

And Celtic are still looking.

That last part is crucial because it tells me Martin O’Neill isn’t finished.

So, Mahmi?? Cavallius? If you two really are being pulled towards Paradise, I have only one thing to say: Follow the green-and-white light, lads.

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