Celtic’s need to add quality to the squad has been pressed home on numerous occasions this season by Brendan Rodgers.
Poor performances domestically as well as in the Champions League left the Celtic boss sending a message that the recruitment completed in the summer simply wasn’t good enough.
The proof in the pudding is Rodgers not playing £7.5m duo Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki in favour of the impressive Liam Scales.
However, it is the goalkeeping position that now takes priority for Rodgers as the Celtic manager ponders how to deal with the upcoming retirement of Joe Hart.
We told this morning how Celtic are looking at Motherwell’s Liam Kelly as a potential replacement for Hart.
But there was a target that Rodgers was reportedly looking at earlier this season who has now just reached the Champions League Final that could have added that much-needed quality the Hoops boss was longing for.
Andriy Lunin makes Champions League Final after Celtic links
As we discussed in October, Celtic first showed interest in Andriy Lunin. [Daily Record]
The Spanish giants signed Lunin from Zorya Luhansk for just over €14m (£12.03m).
At the time, the Ukrainian international was well out of favour at the Galacticos but any potential move was complicated as Madrid were hoping to use Lunin as part of a swap deal with Chelsea to land Kepa Arrizabalaga.
However, no move materialised and despite Lunin getting his opportunity at Madrid after a cruciate ligament injury to Thibaut Courtois ruled him out for the season, reports claimed that a January move to Celtic may also have been on the cards.
And now, with 30 appearances under his belt this season after barely featuring in since signing for Real in 2018, Lunin now has a Champions League Final to look forward to after beating Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate in the 2-1 win in the Santiago Bernabeu last night.
Any potential move to Glasgow will now likely be dead in the water after Lunin’s impressive form this season because it seems that negotiations to extend his contract beyond 2025 are underway as the Ukrainian has now proven his value to the La Liga giants. [90min]