As Celtic begin their pre-season preparations and look forward to European qualifying, Ange Postecoglou must ensure new arrivals are in the pipeline.
At full-back, the Hoops look particularly stretched after the departures of Diego Laxalt and Jonjoe Kenny.
On the chalkboard
Celtic have been linked with a plethora of defenders in the ongoing transfer market.
Valentin Rosier is one name who’s been considered while rumours have surfaced surrounding Aaron Hickey as usual.
The Bhoys have been to bring him back to Paradise for a while now but a deal could be difficult to conclude considering he only signed for Bologna a year ago.
Hickey left Celtic as a 16-year-old, moving to Hearts and then being picked up by Serie A.
He’s impressed for the Italian side and like any promising Scottish left-back, has been compared to Kieran Tierney.
However, if Postecoglou and Dominic McKay do find a move tricky to wrap up, they must consider someone already in the Premiership.
Dangerous Doig
Another full-back that’s been on Celtic’s radar has been Hibernian’s Josh Doig.
The young Scot has attracted the interest of Manchester City and Leeds in the last six months but it’s Watford who made the first move.
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They made a bid of £2.5m, rising to £4m this week but it was rejected by Jack Ross and Hibs.
The Hornets could return for the 19-year-old but Celtic would be wise to hijack the bid.
Postecoglou’s only viable option in that third of the pitch at the moment is Greg Taylor. Adam Montgomery earned his first-team debut at left-back last year but will likely see more action for the reserves in the Lowland League.
Doig, however, would fit the bill perfectly. Last term the teenager contributed to four goals and was particularly useful in defensive situations.
He won 1.3 aerial duels per match, more than any other Celtic full-back apart from Kenny and won 1.7 tackles per game.
On top of that, he possesses the qualities to replicate Kieran Tierney’s influence at Parkhead.
Speaking recently, Charlie Nicholas commented: “If I was Ange Postecoglou I would be trying to sign Josh Doig because he could become the next Kieran Tierney.”
Nicholas added: “Why wouldn’t Celtic go into the market and try and sign him from Hibs? They might even be able to trade in one or two players to perhaps seal the deal.
“I think Doig has great potential and could flourish into a real Tierney type. If it was to take £3m or £4m, then why not pay it? He would have a future sell-on and is one of the best young players in the country.”
The youngster was among the nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Season for 2020/21, joining potential new teammate David Turnbull and fellow Celtic target Ali McCann on the list.
With that in mind, it’s hard to see how Postecoglou can ignore him.