There are a few potential loan deals Celtic are being linked with this summer. They are mainly English Premier League players looking for a fresh opportunity and it would raise serious questions about the Hoops’ planning if any of them end up happening. In the long run, they would help the club at all.
Three players, in particular, fit this category. Kieran Tierney moving back to his boyhood club from Arsenal, where he isn’t getting to play often enough. Scott McTominay moving to link up with Scotland midfield partner Callum McGregor, as he looks to be on his way out of Manchester United. And the third being Donny van de Beek, who has struggled for a place in the Red Devils’ playing XI since joining them from Ajax back in 2020.
All three need a move and the chance to play regularly. Permanent transfers for them may prove to be the solution for all parties involved. But that might be difficult to pull off. Thus, there is some credibility to the possibility of loan deals.
Even then the financial elements could still be huge hurdles to overcome for a club like Celtic. And there are other reasons why such signings would not be ideal for the Scottish giants.
Celtic must avoid high-profile Premier League loan deals
The Hoops may well have a significant transfer budget to support Brendan Rodgers and they may well be expecting record profits. But these Premier League players would surely still disrupt the wage structure at the club. It could also hurt the positive team spirit that is evident in the squad too.
As Celtic continue to strengthen their squad they must want to bring in more quality players. The three above certainly fit in that category. The club though have been using a pretty successful model over past years of buying lesser-known, with huge potential. Any deals for these three would be a step away from that model.
There is some merit in an occasional loan deal to help see how a player performs and settles in, to see if they can fit the style of play or to see if they can handle a step up to a higher level. These three have all demonstrated that in the past, a loan to evaluate them more closely doesn’t really stand up.
And then the overall pretty basic question regarding the point of a one-year loan deal in the context of the approach to strengthening the squad at Celtic? It’s short-term thinking and planning, and it would seem unlikely that the moves would turn permanent.
Sure the extra quality might shore up the squad for a few months, but would the better approach not be to find quality players to sign on longer-term deals instead? Everyone loves to see top-quality and big name players at the club, but they most probably would prefer a strategy where the club splash out more wisely in order to make long-term additions.