Celtic had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in twelve players overall, with ten arriving on a permanent basis and two on loan with an option to buy included in both those deals. And while a few of them have already made an impact on the first-team, some are yet to find their feet.
The importance of getting the Celtic defence settled into a strong back four is immense. There is hope that Christopher Jullien could finally make his return from injury in the near future. And when that happens, with the signings that the club have made this summer, the club could have some healthy competition in the heart of defence.
The back four is not settled yet and has seen many changes in the opening games this season. Stephen Welsh has been a vital part of this team while Dane Murray has been called upon at times as well. It looks like Carl Starfelt is settling in after his move from Rubin Kazan. And we’ve now seen Cameron Carter-Vickers make a good claim for a regular starting spot in this team.
Signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur just minutes before the transfer window slammed shut, he has gone straight into Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI and even scored on his debut. Yes, we’ve seen some errors as well but there has also been plenty of positive signs of a strong defender. And as reported by Football Insider, John Wenham has said:
"“Celtic, in my opinion, will take up that option to buy him as soon as January.“He is starting games and scored a goal, they really like him. For whatever reason at Tottenham, he has been there too long without making it.“Sometimes you need to go elsewhere and establish yourself. Wherever he has been he has done really well.”"
Could Celtic sign Carter-Vickers on a permanent basis soon?
Carter-Vickers has been on a run of loan spells away from Tottenham Hotspur for a while now. He had already spent time on loan with six clubs in the English Championship over the past several years before joining Celtic this summer.
It is still very early in his spell at Parkhead though and it would be wrong to read too much into his performances till now, whether positive or negative. Postecoglou’s side do not even appear to have a settled back four till now.
Thus, it will be important to see how he performs over the course of the coming months before taking up that option to buy.