Celtic goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist has hinted he could be set to leave the club after two years of featuring behind Joe Hart and Scott Bain in the pecking order.
The Swiss stopper indicated he could depart this summer to seek a new challenge in Europe before eventually settling down in Australia, potentially leaving Scott Bain as the only senior goalkeeper on the books amid Joe Hart’s retirement.
Of course, Celtic have been linked with several options that could strengthen their pool between the sticks, including Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka, Sparta Prague’s Peter Vindahl Jensen and Aston Villa’s Viljami Sinisalo.
Nevertheless, a backup figure may be needed alongside a first-choice at Parkhead, so how could the Bhoys approach the situation?
Celtic and the hunt for goalkeeping reinforcements
Logically, if Celtic are keen on bringing in more than one goalkeeper, acquiring an experienced number one with a younger understudy to learn off could be the way to go, but it may be difficult to entice someone with senior experience to come and sit on the bench.
Alternatively, the club could look to offer a ‘cup goalkeeper’ scenario or to distribute games between both, something the likes of Arsenal have done with David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale; nevertheless, this does come with the risk of heightened pressure on whoever gets the nod on a weekly basis.
In the case of Bain, he has made 78 appearances during his time at Celtic, keeping 40 clean sheets in the process [Transfermarkt]. Regardless, he is firmly a back-up, with his status boosted by the fact he fills a homegrown slot for European competitions.
On that topic, is that an avenue the club could go down if an ideal proposition presents itself? For one, it would help to free up leeway to bring in talent from the continent in other positions, which does sound like an attractive idea in practice.
The internal goalkeeping options at Celtic
It would be unfair to discuss Celtic’s goalkeeping options without touching on youngsters in the ranks that could make a step up, with Josh Clarke and Toby Oluwayemi among the two most prominent, though there is a mystery surrounding the latter.
England Under-20 international Oluwayemi spent the second half of last campaign on loan at Admira Wacker, recording five shutouts in nine outings. However, he is out of contract this summer, so it remains to be determined what happens on that front.
Clarke spent time at Ayr United in 2023/24, and he could also be evaluated before a decision is made on who Celtic may widen their goalkeeper depth with.