Celtic take 'positive' transfer steps with two Parkhead deals as star provides Hoops future latest
Club stalwart has assessed Celtic’s recent transfer movement
Celtic captain Callum McGregor reckons the club are taking ‘positive’ steps with the signings of Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh, while claiming Parkhead is the ‘only place’ he wants to be despite doubts about his own Hoops future.
McGregor, 33, who’s been at the club for a quarter of a century, had been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League where former gaffers Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers are currently based, but in an interview with Sky Sports, confirmed his full focus is on matters at Celtic Park for the foreseeable. The midfielder lifted trophies number 25 and 26 in his personal tally after last season’s domestic double.
It’ll be a new look strike force for the captain to feed in the upcoming campaign following Daizen Maeda’s £10m move to Ipswich Town. The Hoops have forked out a combined £17m on replacements Duran and Hogh, who McGregor believes will help steer the club in the right direction going forward, particularly in Europe.
Hoops signings align with Champions League ambitions
Duran and Hogh scored five goals apiece in last season’s Champions League for Qarabag and Bodo Glimt, respectively. McGregor believes the club bringing in this kind of quality can only be seen as a ‘positive’. He said: “We've signed two strikers, two really good players, obviously Camilo’s (Duran) come in and done really well. Kasper has just joined us as well so it's good signs, it's positive steps and that is to add to what is a really good group already.
“I spoke about this at the end of the season as well, I don't really think there's a group of players and a group of staff that could have got us through that difficult moment as much as these boys did so it's obviously about trying to add bits of quality but what we do have here is guys who want to work for the club, who are good footballers, who want to get better and ultimately did bring success to the football club during a difficult season so we have the makings of a really, really good team. Obviously, the standard for us is trying to get to Champions League football.”
McGregor on Celtic future
Amid the Saudi speculation, McGregor has maintained that Celtic have his full attention as he now prepares for the season ahead, which gets underway on Monday night against Dundee at home for the champions. The captain hopes flag ‘night’ is a great spectacle for the Parkhead faithful but is well aware his job is to perform on the pitch.
He continued: “This is a football club that's been part of my whole life since I was 8, 9 years old, it's where I want to be, it's where I want to play football and ultimately I want to keep driving everything that I possibly can to make sure this club is successful and eventually the day that you do leave it, you want to leave it in a really good place.
“It's always a nice day usually but it's obviously night time this time so it's nice to get the supporters in, get the flag done and then it's down to business again. For us, as much as we can, we want to make it about the football, everyone else will celebrate around us but we have to focus and we have to try and set a marker for what's to come.”