Ange Postecoglou has a list of January transfer targets in case any of Celtic ’s World Cup stars are snared from Parkhead. And Record Sport understands one player on his radar is Israeli wonder kid Oscar Gloukh.
The Hoops gaffer says he’s already planning for the potential loss of key players if they impress at Qatar 2022. And Postecoglou admits he, and the club’s head of scouting and recruitment Mark Lawwell, have to be ready for all eventualities.
The likes of Josip Juranovic, Reo Hatate, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Matt O’Riley could all feature at the World Cup for Croatia, Japan, USA and Denmark respectively. They’ve drawn up a list of potential signings and Maccabi Tel Aviv teenager Gloukh is under consideration after being watched by Celtic’s scouts. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has been a revelation in his homeland and is attracting interest from all over Europe. Gloukh, who was linked with Rangers last summer, is valued by Maccabi at around £8 million but only has a contract until 2024.
As Postecoglou prepared for this week’s international break, he outlined his plans for January to strengthen Celtic’s squad if required.
When asked if the next window could be busier than normal because of the World Cup, he said: “Yeah, you’re right. And that’s part of it. We showed last year that we always want to stay ahead of the game. Last January, without certainty or being able to predict the future, we thought about certain positions and what was needed. We’re doing the same again this year. We have already started planning and have identified the targets that we need.
“We will look to bring in players in January that hopefully then insulates us in case any of our players are taken off our hands. It’s part of our planning and we’re well underway in ensuring we are ready for that.
“Mark knows how I look at things and we’re planning for the next two, three, four windows - and trying to project what gaps we potentially might have. We look at the age demographic of our list and we have a lot in the younger bracket at the moment.
“We know that in the next few years that will progress and some of our players will move on. So we’ve got to make sure that we have players in the age group underneath who we can bring in and develop.
“You don’t just look at what the immediate concerns are, you look at medium term and long term issues as well. That’s just as important.”
Another youngster Postecoglou has been linked with is Australian forward Garang Kuol. The 17-year-old scored four goals in his first seven games for A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners and has just been called into the Socceroos squad for two friendly games against New Zealand.
And Postecoglou said: “He is definitely a talent. In my generation a lot of immigrants settled in Australia from a European background and some of our best footballing prospects came from those families.
“It’s a similar scenario now with a lot of immigration coming from African nations. They’re bringing their love of football to Australia. Kuol is one of those who is forging his way and there’s real talent coming through. Both him and his brother in Germany are very talented footballers and hopefully they continue to progress because Australia will benefit.”
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