Ange Postecoglou has proven he likes to get his winter business done early – and the Celtic boss has repeated the transfer trick again this term with the signings of Alistair Johnston and Yuki Kobayashi.
The arrivals of Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate on the first day of the January transfer window were pivotal 12 months ago and the Australian boss will hope his new recruits will have the same impact when they officially get the green light to play for Celtic on January 1. Postecoglou clearly likes to have the core of his squad together as soon as possible in a transfer window, so could more early deals be announced soon?
The arrivals could signal a changing of the guard behind the scenes at Lennoxtown with several key players of the Postecoglou era being tipped with a January move away from Glasgow's east end. Fans are familiar with the player trading model the Scottish Premiership leaders deploy, and that could see more changes next month.
But what can Celtic fans expect with the January sales fast approaching? Record Sport takes a look at four pieces of potential business.
Josip Juranovic
The World Cup is over but the hype surrounding Josip Juranovic has only escalated with Barcelona emerging as the latest high-profile name to be touted with a bid for the Croat. Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United have scouted the 27-year-old in recent months and Barca may need to spend big to win the race for his signature.
The Catalan giants are under strict financial rules from La Liga and UEFA'S Financial Fair play rules are were forced to sell 25 per cent of their domestic television rights and a 49 per cent stake in Barca Studios for more than €700 million to offset losses and comply with La Liga's financial rules. This allowed them to register Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde.
Speaking last month, Camp Nou president Joan Laporta ruled out any January deals, stating: "According to the rules of financial fair play of the Spanish league, we can not sign." However, could another financial lever be pulled to allow Juranovic to move to La Liga if Celtic hold out for a bumper payday?
West Ham had also been tipped as a potential destination, but David Moyes looks to have ruled out a move insisting there will be no winter signings. Responding to Jim White on talkSPORT when asked if he would strengthen in January, Moyes said: "I don’t think we will, because the board done really well by us in the summer by adding nine players, which is more than anyone could have hoped."
Aissa Laidouni
The potential suitors who are lining up to sign Tunisia World Cup hero Aissa Laidouni appear to be dwindling after Ferencvaros chief Pal Orosz revealed a hefty price tag for the player. An £8.7million valuation has been placed on the Hungarian champions’ star man after he impressed in Qatar.
That is likely to put off Celtic, who has been named by reports in Frances as an interested party. Turkish outlet Sabah Sport claim the valuation has also seen Besiktas pull out of a deal. Wolfsburg have also been credited with a strong interest but the Bundesliga side look to be the only side potentially willing to meet the valuation at this stage.
Stephen Welsh
Record Sport revealed that Celtic had a stick or twist decision to make over Stephen Welsh in January with several clubs in England making their interest known. Interest in the defender from Europe appears to have been firmed up by Portuguese outlet Correios de Portugal, who state Porto are interested in the 22-year-old. The report reveals boss Sergio Conceicao is keen to add depth to his centre-back options. They claim that Welsh is viewed as a "project" for the club to progress.
Johnny Kenny
Kenny looks set to leave Celtic on loan for Shamrock Rovers, with reports suggesting the club will have an option to buy at the end of the campaign. The 19-year-old only made the move from Sligo Rovers in January, but has yet to make a first-team appearance.
Kenny has been on loan with Queens Park in the Championship but has failed to make an impact with Owen Coyle’s side. The Irish Independent report a move had been agreed to kickstart Kenny’s career.
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