Celtic have been told they need as many as four new signings before their upcoming pre-season fixture against Middlesbrough to give the club “a huge lift.”
Camilo Duran remains the only new recruit through the door so far, with the £6 million signing getting off to a promising start by scoring in a 4-1 friendly defeat to Sporting.
Manager Martin O’Neill has stated he is “optimistic” about further additions, with anxiety growing among supporters as the new Premiership campaign and Champions League qualifiers loom just weeks away.
Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew believes there is significant work to be done before Saturday’s fixture, identifying out-of-contract Kelechi Iheanacho and former loanee Marcelo Saracchi as urgent targets alongside two further recruits.
Mulgrew told The Sunday Post that the re-signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was an important foundation, saying “his experience will be invaluable over the course of the campaign.”
He added that Duran’s arrival was an encouraging sign, noting “the transfer fee is a chunky one” and that “he arrives with a pedigree of scoring goals in the Champions League.”
Mulgrew expressed enthusiasm about the Colombian forward, stating “I’ve a feeling he can be a star at the top end of the pitch” after being impressed by his early contributions.
On Iheanacho, Mulgrew said the striker “is a perfect fit for Celtic” and was “terrific in the last two months of the season,” while praising Saracchi for his impact in the final league game against Hearts.
Mulgrew said of Saracchi that “he had a desire to make an impact and drove the team on in that final 20 minutes,” crediting the left-back as playing his part in the title success.
Concluding his assessment, Mulgrew said that if these deals could be completed alongside “a couple of new faces” before the Middlesbrough match, “it will give everyone a huge lift.”
Separately, reports emerging from Denmark suggest Celtic’s interest in striker Kasper Dolberg has been revived, a year after Ajax paid £10 million to sign him in the final hours of last summer’s transfer window.
Dolberg managed just 12 starts last season and spent much of the campaign playing second fiddle to Dutch veteran Wout Weghorst, netting only five goals throughout the term.
Dutch football expert and former Netherlands international Rafael van der Vaart has spoken candidly about Dolberg’s potential, telling Tipsbladet that the striker’s level “depends on what mood he wakes up in.”
Van der Vaart elaborated, saying Dolberg “sometimes feels like he needs to show that he’s the best striker, and he does, but then he decides to sleep again for 10 games.”
Despite that inconsistency, van der Vaart insisted “I actually really like him as a striker, and he has a lot of quality,” while suggesting a return to FC Midtjylland could reignite his career.
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