Celtic have already completed quite a few deals this summer but their transfer business might not be over yet. There are still a few areas in the squad which could do with reinforcements. One of them appears to be their midfield. Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton left the club at the end of last season. On the other hand, Aaron Mooy is the only midfielder that the Hoops have signed this summer till now.
There have been hints recently that Celtic could still make a signing or two before the transfer window slams shut. Fans would expect a midfielder to arrive, especially with James McCarthy being linked with an exit as well after struggling in his debut campaign at Parkhead.
Some interesting rumours have been doing the rounds recently though. Ross Barkley is expected to leave Chelsea this summer and one of the clubs who are rumoured to hold an interest in the Englishman is Celtic.
Barkley was regarded as the next big thing in English football while coming through the ranks at Everton but has never fulfilled that potential. He is on the fringes of the first-team squad at Chelsea right now and as a result, an exit makes a ton of sense.
Does making a move for the Chelsea midfielder make sense for Celtic?
Barkley might not be a regular in the Chelsea first-team but he is a solid player nonetheless and actually has all the attributes to succeed in Scotland.
At the same time though, one has to question, does Celtic making a move for him make sense at this point of time? Even if wages did not prove to be an obstacle, would Barkley be a huge upgrade over the likes of Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate?
It is a physical defensive midfielder that Celtic need most urgently at this point of time and that is not a role that Barkley is capable of playing. Thus, even if rumours of interest were true, a move for the Chelsea midfielder would not make a ton of sense before making additions in a few other positions first.