As Anthony Ralston received the ball from Odsonne Edouard on Saturday night before dashing past several players to score for Celtic, it looked as though one of their biggest issues had been resolved.
However, as the Hoops fell to a devastating late defeat in Edinburgh, it proved why there is still plenty of work for Ange Postecoglou to undertake.
He took a gamble with some of his team selections, particularly at centre-half where Nir Bitton was picked ahead of Stephen Welsh.
However, at right-back he has no such dilemmas. It has been one of the biggest burdens for the Australian coach since he took charge at Paradise, with Jeremie Frimpong yet to be replaced.
Jonjoe Kenny arrived for a loan spell during the second half of last season but he has headed back to Everton, and Celtic are now in a position where they desperately need a new player in that third of the pitch.
Ralston was poor in Champions League qualifying but was promising in forward areas during their defeat to Hearts. His goal was of the highest quality, dancing around a couple of defenders before finding the back of the net.
Despite that, the Bhoys can’t afford to give up on their pursuit of a new full-back. Royal Antwerp’s Aurelio Buta is reportedly close to a move but they should focus their efforts on signing Manchester City’s Yan Couto instead.
The Brazilian is rated very highly, being compared to former Barcelona star Dani Alves during his short career so far. He has been linked with a move to Glasgow, and if the Hoops can secure a deal, it would be a wonderful acquisition.
After all, he possesses all the necessary attributes to thrive at right-back in Celtic’s system.
Described as a “superb talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the 19-year-old was named as the Spanish second tier’s best right-back last season while on loan at Girona.
He completed one key pass per 90 minutes, as well as 1.3 tackles and 1.8 dribbles over the same metric. For context, no player at Celtic completed more of the final statistic last season.
Coincidentally, it’s also better than Buta. He managed 0.8 key passes and just 0.5 successful dribbles per match by comparison.
With that in mind, if Celtic really want to sign a forward-thinking attacking full-back, Couto is their man. Dubbed “extremely dangerous” by Kulig, he’d be a phenomenal signing for Postecoglou and Dominic McKay.