Even if Celtic were to lose Matt O’Riley before the end of the summer transfer window, Brendan Rodgers would still have two of the league’s best three midfielders at his disposal.
As the Brighton and Hove Albion target endured a frustrating afternoon in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Hibernian – nothing really coming off for him in the final third – Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate stepped up to prove that, even on a rare O’Riley off day, Celtic still have more than enough talent to blow most clubs in Scotland away.
McGregor has been outstanding throughout the new campaign, scoring a screamer against the same opposition in the Premiership. Hatate, meanwhile, is revving back to his Rolls Royce best.
But the concern is that, even if O’Riley was to stay at Parkhead, Celtic’s midfield options beyond their fabulous first-choice picks look a little thin.
Brendan Rodgers needs Celtic signings even if Matt O’Riley stays
Kwon Hyeok-Kyu has joined Saturday’s opponents on loan. Rodgers suggested that there was no real place in his immediate plans for Thiago Odin Holm or Bosun Lawal either, before the latter sealed his £2 million move to Stoke City.
Paulo Bernardo has returned while Tomoki Iwata has made progress in recent months. But should O’Riley go, that would leave Celtic with only four real stand-out options in the middle.
No wonder The Hoops continue to be linked with a number of potential outside hires.
Augsburg’s Arne Engels, Hammarby whizzkid Bazoumana Toure, and Dundee captain Luke McCowan; all have been mentioned in recent days.
Keep an eye out for Tanner Tessmann too.
Linked with Italian reporter Gianluca di Marzio, Tessmann remains on the market with a proposed move from Venezia to Fiorentina yet to materialise. Valued at £4.7 million, the USA international would also come cheaper than either Engels or Toure.
Filippo Antonelli, Venezia’s sporting director, confirmed last week that Tessmann has been removed from first-team contention as the speculation over his future continues to swirl.
Head coach Eusebio di Fransesco now says the same. The Alabama-born 22-year-old was nowhere to be seen during Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Lazio.
“I prefer to talk about those I have (at my disposal),” former Roma and Sassuolo boss Di Francesco tells Tuttomercatoweb. “I’ll let the club talk about him. Then, if you ask me what I think of him as a player, then I can tell you that he’s an excellent player.
“At the moment, he’s not part of the project. It’s a discussion to be discussed with the club in which the coach can have a say up to a certain point.”
Tanner Tessmann could ease pressure on Callum McGregor
Tessmann, a dynamic and deep-lying operator, would not be a like-for-like O’Riley replacement. The likes of Engels are more suited to such a role.
But the FC Dallas man could thrive as one of the ball-playing, tempo-setting operators in Rodgers’ system, perhaps as a back-up for Hatate and the often overworked McGregor.
Football Scotland reports that the Celtic boss wants two midfielders before the deadline, the Glasgow giants shifting their focus after sealing a deal to bring Adam Idah back.
“I will need to speak to the board,” Rodgers says. “There’s a lot of work going on and there’s lots that we need to do. But, for now, it’s really about the players that are here.
“They’re doing a brilliant job. We know where we want to strengthen and I’m pretty hopeful that we can do that.
“I’m an experienced manager who knows that you need a strong squad as it’s a long season. Come September, there are more games and they’re more intense. So we have to have a squad ready for that.”
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