While the news of Joe Hart’s retirement came as a surprise, the comments his former Celtic team-mate Benjamin Siegrist made this week did not.
Hart hung up his gloves at the end of the 2023/24 season. Not quite an Eric Cantona-style, remember-where-you-were-when-you-heard-it departure from the game at the age of 37, but still premature in the eyes of many. Hart, so integral to another domestic double, clearly had plenty of oil left in the tank.
The 75-time England international’s enduring consistency, meanwhile, ensured that Benjamin Siegrist made a grand total of two appearances during his two seasons at Parkhead so far. Is he going to stick around for a third?
It certainly doesn’t feel like it, Siegrist telling Blick this week that he hopes to continue his career Down Under in Australia, catching rays as well as corners.
That would leave Scott Bain – who fell to third place in Brendan Rodgers’ pecking order last season – as Celtic’s only first-team goalkeeper. Not one but two shot-stoppers may be required before the September deadline, then.
Though, as the last few weeks have shown, finding one – let alone two – is easier said than done. HITC have already reported that a deal for Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher will stretch the limits of Celtic’s budget, the Irishman valued in the £15 million bracket.
Michael Zetterer, meanwhile, has signed a new contract at Werder Bremen. Patrick Pentz opted for Brondby while Ugurcan Cakir is in no rush to leave his beloved Trabzonspor. Koen Casteels has moved to the Middle East.
While many a door closes, however, another couple have opened of late.
Celtic need a Joe Hart replacement goalkeeper
Etienne Vaessen is leaving RKC Waalwijk on a free transfer.
Horatiu Moldovan, reportedly on Celtic’s radar in the winter, is keen to move on again after spending half a season on the Atletico Madrid bench. The Scottish Sun have thrown Viljami Sinisalo’s name into the frame too, and the £3 million Finland international may be in no rush to play third-fiddle at Villa Park.
After excelling on loan at Exeter City last term, Sinisalo is at something of a fork in the road. The path that leads him to Celtic, meanwhile, may well open up if Villa succeed in their pursuit of the £10 million Famalicao goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
Aston Villa could open the door to Viljami Sinisalo exit
Portuguese publication Mais Futebol reported earlier in the week that talks have taken place. Villa are willing to offer £8.5 million up front, with a further £1.5 million in bonuses.
And Junior’s arrival, potentially joining both Emi Martinez and Robin Olsen in the Midlands, should be the final push Sinisalo needs to bring an end to his time in claret-and-blue.
A move north of the border however – with the prospect of first-team football, Champions League action and no shortage of silverware – has one of Sinisalo’s former Exeter team-mates backing him to seize such an opportunity with both hands.
“He’s wasting his time coming back to League One next year,” Shaun MacDonald tells The Athletic. “I’ve said that openly and he agrees. He’s got a year left on his contract (at Aston Villa), so he would probably have to sign a new deal if he was going on loan again.
“I would say move to the Championship. (But) I saw stories about Celtic, so something like that would be great.”
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