Celtic’s pursuit of a number-one goalkeeper has become the transfer story of the summer so far at Parkhead.
There still isn’t a definitive indication of who could succeed Joe Hart, who has left big gloves to fill following his excellent three-year spell at the club.
Newcastle United stopper Martin Dubravka, Bournemouth’s Mark Travers and Sparta Prague’s Peter Vindahl Jensen are thought to be among the prospective candidates; however, is does seem to have gone a bit quiet on the recruitment front.
Over the past few years, Celtic have run a tight ship behind the scenes when trying to push deals over the line. The reigning Scottish Premiership champions rarely give much away while doing thorough due diligence on individuals they believe can make a marked impact in Glasgow’s east end.
Regardless, as a fan, it would be nice to see some significant movement, a notion that Chris Sutton agrees with if his latest interview is a yardstick to go by.
Chris Sutton on Celtic’s goalkeeper search
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sutton has cited why Celtic’s goalkeeper chase is an urgent priority this summer and has laid out his reasoning as to why that is the case, including the knock-on impact of not being able to secure signings early in the window.
He explained when asked about the situation by Kris Boyd: “We both know the Glasgow climate; it’s not easy being a goalkeeper at Celtic or Rangers. First of all, you need to be a good goalkeeper, but you need to have that personality as well to handle the pressure, and I think Joe Hart did that superbly well; big character at the back, and he marshalled that defence in front of him.
“That’s a really interesting one. I always think that Celtic should do their work early in the transfer market, and they dawdled last season, so I just wonder why there is a delay at this moment in time in terms of bringing a goalkeeper in and players in.
“We saw with the Champions League last season that Celtic were getting ready for the Champions League when the tournament had begun. That goalkeeping position is going to be key for Celtic.”
There is no getting away from it; Celtic have to strengthen their options between the sticks and secure a preferred choice who will need plenty of time to gain an understanding with his defensive colleagues, hopefully laying the foundations for another successful campaign under Brendan Rodgers.
Replenishing the experience and passion Hart brought to the table is also important. The dressing room has lost a great leader, and that shouldn’t be underestimated when deciding on the best man for the job.
Casting an eye to the next few weeks, Celtic have clear priorities in sight as they aim to make a splash in the transfer market.