Marc Guéhi was rejected a transfer to Liverpool on deadline day (Credits: Imago Images)
Celtic are racing to complete a flurry of transfer business before the Europa League squad registration deadline closes at 11pm on Wednesday night.
The Scottish Premiership champions are pushing hard to bring in six new arrivals as the window enters its final critical hours.
The activity follows the confirmed departures of two first-team players who secured moves to the English Championship before the deadline.
Midfield maverick Reo Hatate has joined Burnley on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, ending his time at Celtic Park.
Johnny Kenny has also departed, with Preston North End paying £3m to secure the striker’s signature after he agreed personal terms.
With those exits confirmed, manager Martin O’Neill is now focused on bringing in reinforcements to strengthen the squad for European competition this season.
Oliver Sorensen has already sealed a season-long loan from Parma, providing one of the first confirmed arrivals in a busy window close.
Gvidas Gineitis, viewed as the long-term successor to Arne Engels, could complete a move from Torino after the Lithuania international played in their Coppa Italia defeat to Monza.
Celtic have pursued Gineitis throughout the summer and talks are reported to remain live as the club bids to bring him to Glasgow before the deadline passes.
Chelsea teenage prospects Landon Emenalo and Shim Mheuka are both expected to arrive, with Mheuka touching down in Glasgow on Tuesday evening.
Emenalo was given a VIP tour of Lennoxtown last month as he continues to recover from a niggling injury that has delayed his potential move.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, the 33-year-old former England international, is on the brink of completing a season-long loan from Wolves after slipping down the pecking order at Molineux.
Sander van den Berg is also arriving from PSV in a move worth £3.4m, adding further defensive reinforcement to O’Neill’s options for the European campaign.
Celtic assistant boss Shaun Maloney addressed the urgency around the Europa League registration deadline, saying: “I think with that European deadline, we want to try and get them in the squad if we can.”
A reported interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Justin Devenny appears to have come to nothing, with the Northern Ireland international expected to join Stoke City instead.
The Scottish transfer window officially closes at 5pm on Thursday, but Celtic’s priority remains finalising deals before the earlier European cutoff to maximise their continental squad depth.
About the Author
