Celtic have several positions that will need strengthening this summer as Brendan Rodgers looks to expand his squad depth.
Exploring the transfer market not just in Europe but worldwide has served Celtic well in recent years, with Japan becoming a particularly happy hunting ground for our recruitment staff of late, evidenced by the success of Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.
Of course, there are also benefits to be had by looking towards Major League Soccer as an avenue for new additions, given Alistair Johnston’s impact in green and white since arriving from CF Montreal in January 2023.
The Canada international has been a reliable first-choice at right-back at Parkhead, racking up 53 appearances for the Bhoys, registering two goals and five assists [Transfermarkt].
Factoring this in, it does seem strange that we haven’t returned to the States over the last couple of windows to court prospective incomings despite the significant volume of talent to size up.
Either way, regarding matters centric to the needs of our squad, there will be movement in the goalkeeping position amid Joe Hart’s impending retirement from football.
Rodgers will also scrutinize his forward line, with Kyogo Furuhashi arguably the only striker who is more or less locked in at Celtic next season.
Adam Idah and Hyeongyu Oh’s long-term future still remain undetermined, having scored five goals apiece; however, it may be worth casting our eye across the Atlantic once more in our hunt for a prolific goalscorer.
Duncan McGuire could be a lucrative option for Celtic in attack
Celtic have a brilliant knack of being able to identify striking talent in the transfer market, and it may be worth pursuing Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire in light of his current situation.
The 23-year-old was set to join Blackburn Rovers in January for a fee in the region of $4 million (£3.1 million) in January before the move collapsed due to an ‘administrative error’ at the last second [The Guardian].
McGuire is still at Orlando City and could prove to be a lucrative option for Celtic as they hunt for another prolific goalscorer.
Per Transfermarkt, the Omaha-born man has made 44 appearances for his current employers, registering an impressive 18 goals and three assists in total.
Encouragingly, his contract is set to expire in December 2024, which may present the opportunity to land him at a reasonable fee and not be priced out of the running for his signature.
Standing at 6ft 1in, the United States international has made a promising start to the MLS 2024 campaign, averaging 2.3 shots per game and a goal conversion rate of 22% over four outings [Sofascore].
Despite the current Stateside season being in its infancy, we can see that, by taking a wider sample size from last year, McGuire accumulated a commendable shot accuracy of 65%, firing 24 of his 37 strikes on target, scoring 13 times [Fotmob].
Aerially, the former Lane United man has shown he can compete with the physicality of opposition central defenders, winning 1.3 headers on league duty per fixture this term, per WhoScored.
Exactly two weeks ago, McGuire recorded the fastest-ever goal in Orlando City history, latching on to a through ball from Rafael Santos to open the scoring inside 13 seconds against Minnesota United.
In a time where clubs are usually forced to pay a premium for attacking talent, Celtic could land themselves a potential bargain if McGuire were to be pursued by Parkhead chiefs.
Failing that, Philadelphia Union winger Jack McGlynn, Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff, or the slightly more experienced Timothy Tillman of Los Angeles FC may be worth monitoring, among others.