Kieran Tierney deal agreed, £34m striker joins - Celtic's perfect end to transfer window
Celtic have had one of their most successful Januarys yet and it keeps getting better.
The reigning Scottish champions beat BSC Young Boys 1-0 last week to secure a place in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2013. The transfer window officially shuts in a week's time (February 3), and fans are growing in anticipation for the deals that are looking likely to happen in the coming days.
One former player is back at Parkhead, with another reportedly on the way - and Brendan Rodgers is dipping back into the market for a striker to replace the outgoing Kyogo Furuhashi. His departure to Rennes is a damning loss for many Celtic fans, given his fearsome reputation on derby day and eye for goal in the league - but one thing that is softening the blow is the return of fan favourite Jota in the other direction.
READ MORE: Celtic join Tammer Bany transfer 'swarm' as Kyogo successor search leads to Randers bargain
The Portuguese winger left Glasgow in the summer of 2023 to join Saudi side Al-Ittihad for a whopping fee of £25million. However, his career away from Celtic has been marred with issues, scoring four goals and assisting once in 25 appearances for the Saudi club before moving to France for a new start.
Jota joined Ligue 1 club Rennes last summer for £6.7m (€8m), scoring and assisting once in 10 games. It was announced on Monday (January 27) afternoon that the 25-year-old has returned to Glasgow, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal with Celtic worth £8m.
It looks like the transfer business at Celtic Park is far from completed too. With the clock ticking, Record Sport takes a look at what the ideal end to the window could look like for Rodgers.
Kieran Tierney returns sooner
Another exciting piece of news coming out of Parkhead is the anticipated long-awaited return of academy superstar and club legend Tierney. The Scottish defender left his boyhood club in 2019 for a then-record sale of £25m, but his time at the Premier League club has been affected by injury.
However, rumours began circulating at the beginning of the window that Tierney could make a sensational return to Celtic as his deal with Arsenal is set to expire in the summer. The versatile defender is believed to have signed a pre-contract with the club, confirming his return in the summer, with The Telegraph reporting that the 27-year-old turned down moves to other Premier League sides and teams abroad to head back home.
However, the timing of his Arsenal exit hinges on one other player in the Gunners squad. His fellow left-back Oleksander Zinchenko could also be on the move this month, with Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund interested in securing the Ukrainian's signature for a whopping £30m.
If this transfer happens, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would be left with just Tierney and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly for the title run-in. It remains to be seen if a deal for Tierney would then be blocked, with Arteta still having Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori as options to play the left full-back role.
This has given Celtic fans hope that a move can be made for Tierney to join on loan in January before completing a free transfer in the summer at the end of his Arsenal contract.
Evan Ferguson joins on loan
Rodgers' primary focus for the conclusion of the window is securing a new frontman following Kyogo's exit. Record Sport understands that Celtic are ready to put their feelers out in bringing Mathias Kvistgaarden to the club this window, but current club Brondy are holding out for bids of at least £13m.
The Danish striker, who has 10 goals and four assists in the Superliga this season, has been a long-time target for Celtic, but the price tag could be one reason why they may hold off on their pursuit until the summer.
In the interim, a loan deal for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson looks a perfect solution. The Irishman has just one goal for the Premier League club in 12 appearances this season, with reports suggesting that the club are allowing the youngster to leave until the end of the season.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that there has been interest from several clubs in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga so far, but Celtic are also one of the clubs monitoring the highly-rated talisman, according to TBR Football.
The striker, whose current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at £34m, could be allowed to make a temporary move soon, as Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler suggested he may be made available. Hurzeler said: "Let's see what happens in the end.
"In the offensive line, there's still some players not at the highest level, some players suffering with small issues. Evan is also not fit yet so we still have some days til the window is closed. Until then, we still have to figure out what is the situation at the moment, what we need for the rest of the season, and what the players want. Then it's about making the decision together."
Clearout completed
Another piece to the puzzle for Celtic will be clearing out some squad players who aren't in the immediate plans for success. Scottish defender Stephen Welsh joined Belgian side KV Mechelen on loan until the end of the season, giving the 25-year-old the time to get some minutes in the tank before returning to Glasgow.
Argentinian left-back Alexandro Bernabei also confirmed his exit from Celtic earlier this month, joining Brazilian club Internacional on a four-year deal worth £4.5m after a successful loan spell with the club. Midfielder Odin Thiago Holm also confirmed a move away from the club, joining MLS side Los Angeles FC on a season-long loan through to the end of 2025.
Rodgers appears to want to move more players from his large squad, with winger Luis Palma also reportedly on the move during January. The Honduran winger has found it difficult to solidify a starting position this season, after a decent debut with Celtic in 2023/24 - scoring six goals and assisting nine times in 24 games.
Sport Witness states that Palma could seal a move away from Glasgow this month, with Greek side Olympiacos and MLS clubs reportedly interested in securing his signature. The 25-year-old's father, Enrique, has also spoken about the possibility of his son moving on from Celtic soon, as he told Diario Diez in October: "He will be at Celtic right now and focus on the rest of the year and maybe there will be a sale, but what happens to him will depend on his work."
Bonus attacker addition
If the additions of Jota, Tierney and potentially Ferguson weren't a tantalising enough prospect for Celtic fans, then Rodgers may have another few tricks up his sleeve to secure success. Record Sport revealed previously that the Hoops manager is looking to test Aston Villa's resolve by submitting a seven-figure bid for forward Louie Barry - but the 21-year-old now looks to be inching closer to a loan move to Hull City.
Another option for Rodgers could be making a move for BK Hacken striker Zeidane Inoussa, also revealed to be a target by Record Sport. The 22-year-old has been attracting attention for his current form, with six goals and three assists so far this season in Sweden.
Inoussa told Fotbollskanalen that he has ambitions to play abroad in his future, as he said: "We'll see what happens. If we both feel it's extremely good for both parties, then why not. But if it's not good for either of us, it probably won't happen. We've talked about it a bit. A good league. A club that is ambitious. A club that has a very good plan for me, that sees me as an important player in their project where I can contribute a lot. I think most players in the Allsvenskan are keen to go abroad.
"It's probably almost everyone's dream, and mine too. I'm open to a move if it suits both me and Häcken. My dream is to play in a top five league, like the Premier League, of course. It might be difficult to get there if you've been in the Allsvenskan for 10 years. At some point you have to move. But we'll see if it happens now, this summer or next winter. It's hard to say."
While Rodgers should have plenty of firepower regardless, Celtic find themselves in a strong negotiation position with European football still on the menu, and one more signing would be the cherry on top of an excellent window.
