Celtic want Chelsea's Emenalo on loan - gossippublished at 08:24 BST
08:24 BST
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Celtic are keen on landing Chelsea left back Landon Emenalo on loan, with the 18-year-old given a tour of the club's Lennoxtown training complex yesterday. Scottish Sun, external
Everton are still "keeping tabs" on Alistair Johnston despite recently cooling their interest in the Celtic right-back due to the £15m asking price. Football Insider, external
Why Celtic's slow and steady transfer approach could pay offpublished at 10:02 BST 12 August
10:02 BST 12 August
Kheredine Idessane BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
This won't be a popular view among sections of the Celtic support, but I wonder if the club's calm, cautious outlook in an ever-frenzied football transfer market is, after all, working out fruitfully.
Quality over quantity is the mantra, but with the signing deadline looming for next week's Champions League play-off first leg with LASK Linz, has the Parkhead outfit done enough to maximise their chances of going through to the lucrative main phase of European football's elite competition?
The short answer to that is no, not yet. The high-profile, high-cost arrivals of Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran have added goals, movement and excitement to a front line that was dreadfully stale for most of last season.
Their input will be crucial in the two matches against the Austrians. They can't, however, do it all themselves. They need better service, which is why Celtic have been trawling Europe for wingers.
Were they finally to get a deal over the line for Egypt international Haissem Hassan, they could start to argue that real progress is being made and that a very decent-looking squad is being assembled.
The pace of signings may not be to the liking of many in the support base, but the complexities of international transfers, and the bloated prices clubs quote to suitors like Celtic who are known to be fairly cash-rich, means certain deals effectively become non-starters.
The interesting one for me this calendar year is the curious case of Fares Ghedjemis. Heavily linked with a move to Celtic in January before deciding to stay and help Frosinone's successful Serie A promotion push.
The multi-million-pound valuation put on his head by his current employers, however, seems at odds with his current status in the game.
Yes, the 23-year-old is a current Algeria international, who even played a few minutes in the recent World Cup. He has terrific potential, clearly. Enough to justify the apparent eight-figure cheque his current employers want for his signature?
This, remember, for a player whose career so far can boast just half a dozen top-flight games anywhere? His trajectory has mainly been through the French and Italian lower leagues and, while there's clearly a good player there, the telephone-number figures associated with him seem somewhat premature.
The smart suits at Frosinone paid approximately £300,000 to take him from Rouen just over two years ago - an excellent piece of work which should be roundly applauded.
It would appear, though, that they're after at least 30 times that now. I've heard of hyper-inflation in Italy, but no wonder Celtic, and others, are baulked at the asking price.
If Hassan arrives in Glasgow's east end, as is now largely anticipated, the Ghedjemis thing surely becomes moot.
They're not going to spring for two expensive wingers on top of the forwards they've already recruited - not unless Michael Nicholson and co take a flamethrower to their previous policies.
I only use the Algerian as an example of the perils of the current market. The clamour for signings, and for money to be spent, has to be balanced against securing value for your investment.
If the calm, collected approach secures Hassan for a sum and a contract Celtic are comfortable with, does the delay in his arrival really matter all that much?
What the supporters can legitimately criticise the club for is the failure to bolster other elements of the squad. Two summer signings by (at the time of writing) 12 August is pretty paltry, especially when you look at the volume of business being done elsewhere.
Martin O'Neill has been openly asking for reinforcements for a good while now. They may be in the pipeline. A return for Greg Taylor from Greece? Midfielder Mika Baur from Germany?
This could yet turn into the best window Celtic have had since Ange Postecoglou's first season in 2021-22.
If the work behind the scenes is going to plan, the under-fire board may well be able to prove that slow and steady sometimes does win the race.
Hassan on brink of joining - gossippublished at 08:23 BST 12 August
08:23 BST 12 August
Egypt winger Haissem Hassan has completed a medical in London before his £9m move from Real Oviedo to Celtic. (Anthony Joseph on X)
Torino want in excess of £8m for Celtic target Gvidas Gineitis and have rejected an offer for the midfielder from RB Salzburg. (Daily Record)
Everton have not given up on landing Celtic right-back Alastair Johnston, with their initial move stalled by a £5m difference in valuation between the clubs. (iPaper - subscription required)
Celtic and Ipswich Town are the clubs interested in Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope, who has been told he can leave the club this summer. (Daily Express)
Celtic's recruitment shift is becoming clearpublished at 15:13 BST 11 August
15:13 BST 11 August
Tino Fan writer
All the talk right now surrounds the imminent arrival of Haissem Hassan, with the Egypt winger reportedly undergoing his Celtic medical.
If everything goes to plan, Hassan will become the latest exciting addition to Martin O'Neill's squad alongside Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh.
Three players alone don't necessarily prove anything, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore what looks like a definite shift in Celtic's recruitment strategy.
Compare the situation to this time last year. By early August, Celtic had spent around £1.5m on Shin Yamada and £250,000 on Hayato Inamura - two players who could firmly be placed in the 'project' category.
Neither arrived looking ready to make an immediate impact, and ultimately neither move worked out. They weren't isolated examples either.
Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm and even Gustaf Lagerbielke all arrived for fees somewhere between £1m and £3m in recent times.
Too many of those deals felt like speculative punts rather than signings designed to immediately improve the starting XI.
Celtic were stockpiling them and that feels like the biggest difference this summer. Hogh hasn't come to Glasgow to sit on the bench. Neither has Duran, nor will Hassan.
For too long Celtic have been guilty of bloating the squad with players who might develop into something rather than concentrating resources on those capable of making a difference immediately.
Every now and again, of course, that approach can uncover a gem. The £1.7m paid for Benjamin Nygren, for example, now looks like particularly clever business.
Far more often, however, you end up with players effectively training for a living at Celtic without ever seriously threatening the starting XI.
There's another issue with that too. A first-team squad packed with players who know they have virtually no chance of playing must have an effect on the training environment, consciously or otherwise.
In contrast, if Hogh's breathing down your neck, or Duran is threatening your place, or Hassan arrives ready to do the same, standards rise naturally.
So while the slow nature of this transfer window has been incredibly frustrating at times, Celtic finally appear to be adding players O'Neill genuinely wants to use.
BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter, Tom English, said the Denmark striker, who was making just his second appearance for Martin O'Neill's side, represented "the most proven goalscorer Celtic have signed since Chris Sutton".
Current manager O'Neill signed Sutton from Chelsea in what was then the club's record outlay, with Hogh their current biggest fee.
However, the man who partnered Henrik Larsson for years in Glasgow isn't so sure about the comparison.
"Tom does talk a lot of rubbish at times, and that's clearly evident there," Sutton said on the Monday Night Club.
"It's an interesting one, if I chuck a few strikers who came after me out: John Hartson was a phenomenal finisher, Moussa Dembele was an excellent young player, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Gary Hooper was a good goalscorer, Odsonne Edouard had a really good spell.
"Look, the bottom line is Hogh has been in for two games, and after the first game against Dundee he missed a couple of chances and guess what, people were doubting him.
"He got his hat-trick against a kamikaze Kilmarnock, I've got to say they did make it easy for Celtic.
"I was pleased for him, he seems to be a really strong character, he's got a lot about him."
Hogh, who arrived this summer alongside Qarabag foward Camilo Duran, are the club's only two incomings so far, but Sutton reckons filling the void up top was crucial.
Daizen Maeda has left for Ipswich and the club have been without a recognised central striker since Adam Idah's move to Swansea a year ago.
"I think people forget Celtic didn't have a proper decent centre forward last season and this is a guy who has the physicality, he led the line really well against Kilmarnock at the weekend, it wasn't just about his goals," Sutton added.
"I like the look of him from what I saw at Bodo/Glimt, but it's early days at Celtic for him. It was good he got his goals, but what was more impressive really was the way he held things up, linked things, and looked like he knew what he was doing.
"I'll repeat myself, Celtic won the league last season without a proper striker; they've now got one, possibly two, that's good news for Celtic."
Celtic hopeful of Hassan deal this week - gossippublished at 08:30 BST 11 August
08:30 BST 11 August
Celtic remain hopeful of landing Real Oviedo and Egypt winger Haissem Hassan, 24, this week but have been priced out of a move for Fares Ghedjemis, 23, of Frosinone. (Record - subscription required, external)
Hogh loved scoring in front of 'massive' Celtic supportpublished at 18:36 BST 10 August
18:36 BST 10 August
Image source, SNS
Kasper Hogh loved scoring his first goal in front of the Celtic supporters at Rugby Park on Sunday.
The striker scored his first, as well as his second and third goal as he netted a first-half hat-trick in the Parkhead club's 5-1 Premiership victory at Kilmarnock.
And the Dane is quickly becoming a fan favourite, even if he couldn't really make out the supporters chanting his name from the stands in Ayrshire.
"I try to recognise it, but I'm not the best at Scottish," Hogh said.
"But I hear they shouted some of my name, so I smiled on the pitch when I heard it.
"It's a massive support. When I heard they were screaming and also when we scored the other goals, I was just so happy. And you could see it on the pitch."
The 25-year-old scored two headers from close-range either side of a first-time finish from Benjamin Nygren's pass.
And Hogh was full of praise for his new Celtic teammates.
"There were some great assists from the boys," he added.
"The first one was almost in the goal, so I just had to be there.
"They are some good footballers. And they also have to learn me, like my patterns, so it's just nice that I can be there and touch it in the goal."
'What a difference a striker makes'published at 10:15 BST 10 August
10:15 BST 10 August
Media caption,
Watch all the highlights from Celtic's 5-1 victory at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership
Celtic fans, we asked for your views following Sunday's 5-1 victory at Kilmarnock.
Here's what some of you had to say:
Patrick: What a great way for Kasper Hogh to open his Celtic account, more of that please. Kilmarnock were very sloppy and it's a shame we couldn't make more of all the chances but a great result all the same.
Stephen: What a difference it makes having an actual striker on the pitch. Not just for his goals, which were all chances we wouldn't have been there to take last season, but the hold up and link up play makes every other player on the park look better. Camilo Duran was unlucky not to score too and on another day we could have had 10. We still need to get the midfield balance right so we're not as nervous at the back but delighted with the two new players so far and hopeful the board will continue to spend on the remaining key areas (centre mid, left-back and right wing).
Grant: Great performance from the Celtic team today. While Hogh won the plaudits Celtic's midfield was excellent and Arne Engels showed why he simply has to be retained this season with a man of the match performance from him. A very positive showing.
Jim: Hogh has shown what he could contribute for the remainder of the season. Hyun-jun Yang is now my favourite, love watching him. He was covering all over the pitch and overall play was superb. Long may it continue.
Kev: Celtic are moving forward and scoring goals again, after years of dismal Brendan-ball negativity. The centre-forward is a winner, but the driving force is likely to be lost with the sale of Engels and Benjamin Nygren. Short-term profiteering is incompatible with European success.
Jay: Best Celtic performance in ages. The Killie goalkeeper did well but perhaps Celtic's finishing could have been better. Put it down to early season rustiness and hope all falls into place for Champions League qualification.
Celtic 'monitoring' Pope - gossippublished at 08:03 BST 10 August
08:03 BST 10 August
Celtic have joined Ipswich Town in "monitoring the situation" over 34-year-old goalkeeper Nick Pope's future with Newcastle United. (Daily Mail, external)
Kilmarnock 1-5 Celtic: Have your saypublished at 16:42 BST 9 August
16:42 BST 9 August
Kasper Hogh scored his first Celtic goals as his hat-trick steered Celtic to an emphatic victory away to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership in the absence of Martin O'Neill.
Kilmarnock 1-5 Celtic: What Maloney saidpublished at 16:34 BST 9 August
16:34 BST 9 August
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Celtic assistant manager Shaun Maloney told BBC Sportsound: "Kasper Hogh had a brilliant game. He probably had as many chances today as he did against Dundee but that's the life of a striker, you have to be there to take them.
"His all-round game today was very good. He gave us a platform to play. Kilmarnock tried to press us really aggressively, man for man, and everything that went up to him he held so we were able to run off of him.
"I was really happy with the team. I loved the creativity because we created a lot but the biggest thing was the mentality. We were at 100%, full throttle and never really came off that. We created big chances at the end and defended when they had to. They were really good without the ball.
"I thought the back four and Callum (McGregor) and Arne (Engels) were really good. The attackers will get the headlines but the defenders and the two in front were excellent.
"We set a real benchmark today and for me it was built on the platform of how we were without the ball.
"The manager spoke to the team before we came here and he's a winner so his message was just to win. I haven't spoken to him yet but I'll call him when I'm on the bus.
"He'll be really pleased with the players and also with the staff. The medical team have done a really top job with the manager and we can't wait to get him back."
Celtic among clubs vying for Taylor - gossippublished at 13:50 BST 9 August
13:50 BST 9 August
Image source, SNS
Celtic will have to beat off interest from Burnley and Malaga if they want to bring left-back Greg Taylor back to the Scottish champions, with the 28-year-old Scotland cap open to a return from POAK. (Record - subscription required, external)
Kilmarnock v Celtic: Team newspublished at 10:29 BST 8 August
10:29 BST 8 August
Image source, SNS
Kilmarnock defender Robbie Deas serves the second of a two-match ban after picking up too many yellow cards last season. Tyreece John-Jules is OK after coming off against St Johnstone last week with a facial knock.
Celtic winger Jota returned to training for the first time since April 2025 after recovering from an ACL injury but is weeks away from a comeback. Defender Liam Scales concludes his two-match ban for breaching the yellow cards threshold last term.
Celtic's Trusty opens up on tricky pre-seasonpublished at 09:39 BST 8 August
09:39 BST 8 August
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Celtic defender Auston Trusty admits he missed the start of pre-season as his father was in hospital.
The centre-back made it to the round of 16 with the United States in their home World Cup and even scored in their 3-2 group stage defeat by Turkey.
Trusty, 27, was in the starting line-up for champions Celtic's 1-0 opening Scottish Premiership victory over Dundee on Monday - less than a month on from his final World Cup appearance.
But the defender admits there were some off-field issues that held up his return to Glasgow.
"Unfortunately, I finished the World Cup and then I had some family stuff go on with my father in the hospital," Trusty explained.
"So, I kind of quickly [went from] such a high to such a low. That's why I had some extra time off just because I was having that go on, which is really sad.
"I haven't really had a chance to really take in [what happened at the World Cup] because I finished the World Cup, the off-season stuff with my father went on and then I was dealing with that and then I've come back to pre-season. So, I haven't really had much time to really take it in.
"I missed a good portion of the pre-season, so I wasn't really there to see all the ins and outs of it. But yeah, I think there's a lot more to come from us, for sure."
Celtic continue their season with a trip to Kilmarnock and will play on the Ayrshire club's new hybrid grass pitch for the first time.
Kilmarnock were beaten 4-3 at St Johnstone in their season opener last weekend but Trusty is urging Celtic to focus on themselves.
"Obviously, it's a different surface and they didn't get off to the best starts last week," he said.
"It's more on us. We just need to play our game and do our thing. We've got to look inwards and play the Celtic way and play our game, that kind of takes care of itself.
"Obviously, they have good players and a good team and we can't take them lightly, but we've got to look inwards."
Image source, Getty Images
