Mark Atkinson discusses what transfer business could happen at Celtic in January.
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00:00Hello, it's Mark Atkinson, Scotsman Sports Editor here to talk you through what we may
00:08or may not see during the transfer window for Scottish champions Celtic with the January
00:14activity now permitted. Celtic of course are in a strong position both domestically and
00:21in Europe, 14 points clear at the time of recording in the premiership and on the cusp
00:26of qualifying for the playoff round, at least in the Champions League. In fact, 2024 was
00:32a great year for Brendan Rodgers' team. They only lost twice to Hearts and Borussia Dortmund
00:37and picked up all three domestic trophies on offer. So some would say Celtic don't need
00:43to do much business in January. And while that probably is correct, the manager has
00:48said that he would like to add more firepower to his team. The question is where would that
00:54come from? Well, they've always been linked with Brombie striker Matthias Kvistgarten,
00:59a 22-year-old Danish player who's done very well. And they've also been linked with Michel-Ange
01:04Baliswa, a winger from Antwerp, although he has been injured recently. Celtic did do business
01:11in the last January window, you may remember, by reigning in Nicola Kuhn and Adam Ida, and
01:17both of those players turned out to be pretty handy acquisitions. Celtic, of course, will
01:22also welcome Johnny Kenny, the in-form Irish striker back from Shamrock Rovers, but remains
01:27to be seen. The 21-year-old has got a first-team future at Celtic. You have to say that even
01:33if Celtic don't add anybody to the forward line with Kyogo Furuhashi, Ida, Dijssel Nijder
01:39and Kuhn all in their ranks, they should be able to achieve their minimum expectations
01:43for the rest of the season. Speaking of Kuhn, though, he's one of the Celtic players that
01:49has attracted some speculation of a potential exit over the past couple of months. Despite
01:55being on a long-term contract, the German has been linked with a couple of clubs in
01:59England. His form has been exceptional this season and that has put him on the radar of
02:05potential suitors. But Celtic are in a very strong position financially, with no real
02:11need to sell players. You would imagine that Kuhn and Rio Hatate, the fielder, and centre-half
02:18Cameron Carter Vickers, recently linked with Leverkusen, would be of interest to clubs
02:23higher up the food chain. But the reality is that Celtic don't have any pressure upon
02:28them to do business in January. I'll finish off by talking about one name that doesn't
02:33go away either. That's Kieran Tierney, former Celtic player who left joint Arsenal in 2019.
02:39His contract expires at the gutters at the end of the season and by all accounts he doesn't
02:45have a long-term future in London. Stories have gained traction over the coming weeks
02:51that the Scotland international, who is 27 years old now, could be in line for a sensational
02:56return back to Celtic Park. Tierney, of course, did work in the past alongside Brendan Rodgers
03:03during the manager's first spell at the club and he would almost certainly be a very strong
03:10addition to the Celtic back line, particularly with Greg Taylor, their current left back,
03:15his contract expiring at Celtic Park in the summer. If Tierney does come in, it probably
03:21would facilitate departures for someone like Mike Navrocki or Stephen Welsh, defenders
03:27who haven't seen much game time at Celtic, while Odin Tiago Holm, a midfielder, has been
03:33linked with a move to LAFC. Celtic, by far and away, have the biggest war chest in Scottish
03:39football and therefore will be able to recruit if they so wish. It just remains to be seen
03:44how much business the champions do in the coming weeks.