Ange Postecoglou’s work in the transfer market was hailed as “exceptional” by former Celtic captain Scott Brown earlier this week and the upcoming summer window will provide him with another chance to add further quality to his extremely talented squad.
Players such as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi have been very impressive since arriving at Parkhead and have developed into key figures and Postecoglou aims to continue their dominance of Scottish football.
The Hoops remain on track for an eighth Treble; the runaway Premiership leaders are in a strong position to successfully defend their title just as they did in ther pursuit for back-to-back League Cups. The one trophy still missing from Postecoglou’s CV is the Scottish Cup but victory over rivals Rangers in the semi-finals at Hampden next month would see them face either lower league opposition in Falkirk or Inverness in the May showpiece.
Given their relentless domestic form, a number of Postecoglou’s players will be attracting strong interest from a host of European clubs this summer, with the likes of Kyogo, Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda already on the radar of Premier League teams. Undoubtedly, there will be one or two high-profile departures at the end of the season, but it’s unlikely there will be a high number of incomings.
Postecoglou, who has been linked with several managerial vacancies south of the border, will want to improve Celtic’s form in Europe. In order to do that, he might be willing to let a some fringe players leave to free up finances to sign a player with good experience at Champions League level.
With that in mind, we take a look at how Celtic could line-up ahead of the 2023/24 campaign...
The Hoops remain on track for an eighth Treble; the runaway Premiership leaders are in a strong position to successfully defend their title just as they did in ther pursuit for back-to-back League Cups. The one trophy still missing from Postecoglou’s CV is the Scottish Cup but victory over rivals Rangers in the semi-finals at Hampden next month would see them face either lower league opposition in Falkirk or Inverness in the May showpiece.
5. Greg Taylor - LWB
Now seemingly one of the first names on the team sheet with fully fit, Taylor has been one of Scottish football’s most improved players last season, and will be aiming to pick up from where he left off after mastering the inverted full-back role. Photo: Ewan Bootman - SNS Group
6. Callum McGregor - CM
Wear his heart on his sleeve when he pulls on the Hoops jersey and the captain plays such an integral role in linking the play from the middle of the park. Performed really well in a slightly more advanced position under Ange Postecoglou.
7. Odin Thiago Holm - CM
The exciting young Norwegian midfielder has joined from Valerenga on a long-term deal and expect him to burst onto the scene given he is already match fit after starting the Eliteserien season in his homeland. Photo: Craig Foy - SNS Group
8. Matt O’Riley - CM
The type of player who will continue to improve leaps and bounds under Brendan Rodgers. Was in and out of the team on occasions last term as his form dipped somewhat before rediscovering his best towards the end of the campaign. Photo: Rob Casey - SNS Group