Celtic are reportedly set to finalise their first signing of the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month, later this week.
The Hoops have been on the lookout for a new number one since Joe Hart decided to retire from professional football after three years at Parkhead.
His contract with the Scottish giants expired at the end of May and the former England international opted to call time on his career, leaving a vacant number one shirt in Glasgow.
37-year-old titan Kasper Schmeichel is now reportedly set to undergo a medical with Celtic this week before putting pen to paper on a deal with the club, following his exit from Anderlecht.
The Hoops are also said to be closing in on a deal to sign central midfielder Paulo Bernardo on a permanent basis after his loan spell from Benfica last season.
However, he is not the only loan player the Bhoys are said to be pursuing a permanent deal for as they are also looking at a swoop for an Irish forward…
Celtic's pursuit of loan stars
Firstly, it was recently claimed that the Scottish Premiership champions are likely to agree a fee within the region of £6m with Benfica to sign Bernardo.
The Portuguese midfielder spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead and showcased his attacking quality with a return of three goals and three assists in 11 starts in the top-flight.
Now, according to Football Scotland, talks are continuing between the Hoops and Norwich City over a potential deal to sign Adam Idah on a permanent basis, seemingly after they close the aforementioned move for Bernardo.
The report claims that that the two teams remain in negotiations to discuss a move for the Ireland international, as Brendan Rodgers is keen to be reunited with the forward.
Idah spent the second half of last season on loan with the Scottish giants and did enough to convince them to pursue his services in the current summer transfer window.
Football Scotland adds that the Bhoys have already had an offer of £4m plus add-ons rejected for the 6 foot 3 ace, who was dubbed "incredible" by Rodgers, earlier this month.
The outlet states that new Canaries boss Johannes Hoff Thorup is a big fan of the Irishman and the Championship club are not looking to cash in on him before the end of the transfer window.
However, it now remains to be seen whether or not this latest round of talks between the two teams will lead to an improved offer from Celtic that is enough to tempt the Yellows into selling their academy graduate.
Speaking of academy graduates, one former Hoops youth star who could finally make his mark at Parkhead next season is Mikey Johnston after his impressive spell on loan with West Bromwich Albion, and he could be a dream partner for Idah next term.
Why Mikey Johnston deserves a chance next season
The Glasgow-born winger came up through the ranks at Paradise but never managed to establish himself as a first-team regular over the years.
He made his senior debut in the 2016/17 campaign and has only racked up 92 appearances for the club in all competitions over the subsequent eight years, with no more than 14 league outings in one season.
The Ireland international spent the 2022/23 term on loan with Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal and contributed with three goals and five assists in 31 matches in all competitions.
He then managed two goals and two assists in 13 games during the first half of last season with Celtic before being sent out on loan to the Baggies, where the electric forward thrived in England.
Appearances
18
28
Starts
15
25
Goals
7
6
Big chances created
4
5
Key passes per game
1.2
0.5
Assists
1
3
As you can see in the table above, the Irish forward caught the eye with his quality as both a scorer and a creator from a left wing position for West Brom.
His statistics stood out in comparison to current Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda, as he scored more goals in ten fewer appearances and made more than twice as many key passes per game.
This suggests that Rodgers should provide the 25-year-old whiz with an opportunity to impress and stake a claim for a starting berth on the left flank next term, as the potential is there for him to be an upgrade on the Japan international in the final third.
Why Adam Idah could thrive with Mikey Johnston
Idah and Johnston joined and left Celtic on the same day at the start of February and this meant that they did not get a chance to play alongside each other at Parkhead.
Next season could be their chance to combine and excite the Hoops supporters at Parkhead with their attacking quality, as they could link-up to great effect in the Premiership.
Firstly, Johnston's return of seven goals from 3.01 xG in the Championship suggests that he is a fantastic finisher who can more than make the most of the chances that come his way, and Idah is a striker who can create chances for others – as shown by his two assists in five league starts for the Bhoys.
Also, the Baggies loanee's impressive creativity in the English second tier, as shown in his aforementioned statistics, suggests that he has the quality to create more chances for his international teammate than Maeda did last term.
Appearances
15
Starts
5
Goals
8
Big chances missed
7
Conversion rate
27%
Minutes per goal
76
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, the £23k-per-week star enjoyed a terrific spell on loan with the Scottish giants with a fantastic return of eight goals in 15 league outings, despite starting five of those games.
A goal every 76 minutes shows that he has the potential to be a prolific scorer for Rodgers if the club can sign him permanently, whilst his two goals in three games against Rangers in all competitions showed that he can step up in the big games.
Celtic hit gold with "brilliant" star who's worth more than Dara O'Shea
Ange Postecoglou brought the talented defender to Parkhead as one of his last signings.
ByDan EmeryJul 15, 2024
Therefore, Idah could be the perfect player to make the most of Johnston's creativity next season and that is why they could end up being an exciting duo for fans to watch in action.
