There is a lot of speculation present regarding which goalkeeper Celtic could target in their hunt to replace Joe Hart.
The former England international bowed out of football with a domestic double to his name, finishing the last chapter of his career as an icon at Parkhead.
Nevertheless, it still isn’t clear who Celtic have profiled to be his successor, with the transfer window still 11 days away from opening for business.
Several names have been mentioned in connection with Brendan Rodgers’ men, including Southampton’s Alex McCarthy, Aston Villa stopper Viljami Sinisalo and free agent Kenan Piric, who has recently left AEK Larnaca.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Daniel Peretz has also been linked with a Parkhead switch on a straight loan deal; however, Nottingham Forest, Anderlecht, Sevilla, Union Berlin, Copenhagen and Villarreal are also keen on the 23-year-old.
Loan deals with no option to buy aren’t ideal for Celtic
Goalkeepers of Peretz’s quality are hard to come by at a club like Celtic. You don’t end up at a European giant such as Bayern Munich without having exceptional talent.
Despite this, the Bundesliga outfit are keen to send him on loan to gain regular minutes, which could land Celtic in an awkward scenario if they were to land the Israel international with no option to buy included.
Fraser Forster is an ideal illustration of potential issues that could arise later down the line. Brought in on similar terms back in 2019/20 from Southampton, the Hexham-born man recorded 17 clean sheets in 39 appearances before heading back to the South Coast [Transfermarkt].
Come the summer of 2020, Celtic couldn’t seal an agreement to keep him at Parkhead despite coming close, paving the way for the arrival of Vasilis Barkas during the forgettable 2020/21 campaign.
In short, the last line of defence should symbolise permanence at the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. Rodgers should be looking to attract a goalkeeper to fill the void left by Hart for time to come rather than bowing to short-term thinking.
Peretz clearly has qualities that could benefit Celtic, but from a personal standpoint, there would be more merit in securing his signature provided an option to buy is inserted into any loan agreement.
Building for years to come should be the priority at Parkhead, so it will be intriguing to see how this situation plays out over the coming weeks.