Celtic’s transfer plans will be dictated by a variety of different events and scenarios.
The Hoops will firstly need to appoint a new manager and they will have to patiently wait to see how the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer develop.
Two of Parkhead’s most sellable assets, the funds the Bhoys receive will dictate how much they can spend on replacements.
What’s the word?
Unfortunately, Celtic’s plan to replace Edouard could already be in tatters and it’s through no fault of their own.
One player the club and Eddie Howe were interested in, and were planning to bring into Paradise this summer was Josh King.
The Norwegian is currently at Everton after moving from Bournemouth back in January. He signed a six month deal with the Toffees that expires this summer, meaning he’ll be available on a free transfer.
That sounds like good news but Celtic isn’t King’s only suitor. According to Football Insider, Norwich are now chasing the striker ahead of a summer move.
The report states that Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray also want to sign the 29-year-old.
Celtic in a mess
This doesn’t only represent a blow for the club but it’s also a setback for incoming manager, Howe.
The 43-year-old is close to sealing a move to Parkhead but until he arrives, it would be foolish of Celtic to finalise moves in the transfer market.
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The longer the wait goes on, the more feasible it becomes that King will end up elsewhere. At the moment, he is free to discuss terms with foreign clubs and thus, he could already be in talks with other suitors beyond Celtic.
Considering the Hoops have no manager and no director of football, it’s unlikely the forward would be too sold on the uncertainty at Parkhead.
Therefore, the quicker Howe arrives, the sooner they can begin negotiations for new recruits.
If King decides to move to East Anglia or Turkey, it would be a massive blow for Howe before he’s even walked through the door.
That’s because the former Bournemouth striker is one of his most trusted performers.
The duo worked together on the south coast where they developed a fabulous understanding of they both worked.
King has made 170 appearances under the Englishman, racking up an impressive tally of 50 strikes; that’s a record of a goal every 3.4 matches.
Should Celtic end up missing out on the striker they will only have themselves to blame.
If Dermot Desmond had been swifter in his search for a new manager and bowed down to Howe's demands, he may already be through the door and talking to potential new recruits. At the time of writing, that isn’t possible.
Consequently, they are likely to be further behind in negotiations with his agent. Celtic's initial transfer plans appear to be in big doubt here which could throw a spanner in the works for Howe before he's even taken the job.
Howe's plans to sign a player who knows his methods and his systems well and use him at Celtic could already be in tatters.