00:00Hello and welcome to your latest Celtic Transfer News Bulletin. With just four days left off the summer window, it's quite clear that Brendan Rodgers is in desperate need of reinforcements before Monday night's deadline.
00:15Celtic now knocked out of the Champions League at the hands of Kairat Al-Mati, who qualified for the league phase of the competition for the very first time in their history after a sudden death penalty shootout win in Kazakhstan earlier this week.
00:31A hugely damaging result for Brendan Rodgers' side, who now drop into the Europa League and they'll discover their opponents on Friday.
00:38In terms of potential transfers though, it's certainly going to be a hectic end to the window, which is slightly bizarre given Celtic, we all know at this stage, are in one of the strongest financial positions they've been in for some time.
00:55And certainly the squad on paper at this moment in time is nowhere near as strong as it was towards the end of last season, of course.
01:06Reaching the playoffs, the Champions League playoff round and suffering a gut-wrenching 3-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich after that terrific performance, of course, in the Allianz Arena last season.
01:19To fast forward a few months, to fast forward a few months, being knocked out by the Kazakhstan champions.
01:26As for the potential business that Celtic fans can expect to see over the next couple of days, they are currently closing in on a permanent deal for Royal Antwerp winger Michel Ange Balakwisha, the 24-year-old,
01:42who this has been a somewhat protracted pursuit of the wide man.
01:49He'll certainly add to Celtic's options in attacking areas.
01:53He's missed much of last season through injury, but Celtic, this is a player Brendan Rodgers, has had his eye on for the last couple of transfer windows.
02:02Certainly, since last summer, a deal finally looks close to completion there.
02:09And they're also very close to striking a loan agreement for Boca Juniors' left-back, Marcelo Saracci,
02:17who has jetted into the UK from Argentina to undergo his medical ahead of initially arriving on loan.
02:25There could be a potential option to buy there next summer.
02:32Saracci is 27 years old.
02:34He's got nine caps for the Uruguayan national team and has also had spells in Europe with the likes of Galatasaray, Red Bull, Leipzig and Levante.
02:45So, a player of decent pedigree, he'll come in and battle out with Kieran Tierney, who, of course, will be Celtic's first-choice left-back going forward.
02:56But his minutes will need to be monitored closely throughout the course of the season, given his injury records.
03:04So, Saracci, Celtic fans will hope, will be a suitable understudy.
03:10One player who certainly looks like he could be heading for the exit door is Hiato Inomura.
03:15That could be a loan agreement.
03:18He joined the club earlier this summer, but Brendan Rodgers feels he would be best suited for his development to go out on loan.
03:26It remains to be seen what club that might be.
03:29There's going to be other movement in other areas for Celtic as well.
03:33Of course, Brendan Rodgers might target a new right-back, given the news that Alistair Johnson faces 12 weeks out through injury.
03:40Whether or not he goes with Anthony Ralston and youngster Colby Donovan as the backup remains to be seen,
03:46given they've still got the likes of the Europa League games and some bigger test line weight.
03:51Donovan, who was linked with Dundee in recent days, will remain to be seen there.
03:58If Celtic do decide to go and sign a new right-back, certainly on a short-term option, potentially.
04:04In terms of further forward, there's interest in out-of-form striker Adam Ida from Swansea City,
04:11who are reportedly in talks to sign the Republic of Ireland international.
04:18Ida, who of course was that big money £9.5 million signing from Norwich City last summer,
04:23has failed to really hit the ground running since signing on that permanent deal.
04:29He certainly doesn't look like scoring based on the early signs so far this season,
04:35so he's at one.
04:36It'll be interesting to see what Brendan Rodgers does,
04:39because it's quite clear that he doesn't view Adam Ida as the first-choice number-nine option.
04:46At this moment in time, he seems to have a lot more faith in Dyson Maeda to perform that role through the middle.
04:52But of course, Celtic are really short in options in attacking areas at this moment in time.
04:58We're yet to really see what Shin Yamada and Callum Osmond can bring to the first-team squad.
05:05Osmond spent more time playing with the B team than he has the senior team at this moment in time.
05:12And Johnny Kenny, who it's now or never for Johnny Kenny really as a Celtic player,
05:17if he's to really grasp that number-nine jersey.
05:21So time will tell whether or not he can do that.
05:24As for other players linked with Celtic, they have an interest in Hammerbay star Sebastian Tunetke.
05:32Reportedly a £2.6 million deal has already been turned down for the winger,
05:38who is capable of playing on both flanks,
05:40but more suited to playing on the left-hand side.
05:44A full Tunisian international who has impressed in Sweden's top flight this season.
05:51Celtic no longer have an interest in Jakob Braum,
05:54the go-ahead Eagles attacker who they had a couple of failed bids for.
06:00They've moved on to other targets on the back of that.
06:03So Celtic fans can certainly expect a busy end to the summer transfer window.
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