Celtic on verge of deal to sign emerging talent

Celtic players are slowly starting to filter back in for pre-season, and they could be joined by yet another new addition sooner rather than later, according to reports.

Celtic’s transfer state of play with pre-season already underway

Several Celtic stars were spotted being put through their paces at Lennoxtown earlier this week, and it is anticipated that the bulk of the main group will join before long, but who could accompany them from elsewhere over the coming weeks?

Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan and Benjamin Nygren have already been announced. Fulham youngster Callum Osmand is set to follow the trio to Celtic and has already been spotted at their training base before being officially confirmed as a new asset.

With Greg Taylor out of contract and set to depart, Djurgarden left-back Keita Kosugi is the latest name on the Bhoys’ radar as they plot a replacement for the Scotland international.

Despite some swift moves to bolster their pool of talent, Chris Sutton believes Celtic should be doing more in the transfer market with the Champions League qualifiers around the corner.

He explained: “Unless Celtic are going to start paying silly money, I’d imagine they may have to wait, perhaps even until the end of the window, for some of the key targets.

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“But it still feels a little lacking to me at this precise point of proceedings and, at the very least, Rodgers will surely want the majority in his squad for the start of the domestic season.”

Managers will never be content with that they’ve got, there will always be an appetite for as many useful options as possible to offer cover across the pitch.

Either way, Sutton’s wish could now have been granted as Celtic are now on the brink of bringing in a talented central defender.

Celtic set to land Hayato Inamura with medical scheduled

According to Sponichi, Celtic are set to land defender Hayato Inamura from Albirex Niigata, and he will travel to Europe to undergo a medical before signing on the dotted line at Parkhead.

The 23-year-old took on his final fixture in current club colours against Machida Zelvia this weekend, and is set to become the ninth Japanese player to join the Hoops once his move is ratified.

Predominantly a central defender, Inamura is also capable of featuring at left-back and has two years left on his current deal at the Denka Big Swan Stadium. He is considered an impressive talent back home, evidenced by the fact he shares an agent with two of Japan’s top stars in Europe – £20m Arsenal man Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mainz star Kaishū Sano.

Enjoying a productive J League campaign, the Tokyo-born man has won 63 duels and 75% of his tackles and would likely arrive in Glasgow for a nominal fee, although the specifics on that front haven’t yet been confirmed.

Either way, Celtic appear primed to venture back into a market that has been a happy hunting ground in recent years, so there is every chance Inamura will become a shrewd addition with plenty of potential to develop.