Celtic are still working on their next signing, with no full agreement reached just yet, according to one reporter. The Hoops are looking for their second signing of the summer, following the earlier signing of Camilo Duran from Qarabag, but they have struggled to get deals over the line for much of the summer.
Excuses have been made, but the fact is that Celtic's squad is nowhere near ready with around a week and a half to go until the start of the new Premiership season. Martin O'Neill is likely to get a fair few new signings by the end of the window, and we are likely to see Reo Hatate and Arne Engels join Daizen Maeda in leaving the club, further reducing the level of quality in the squad.
Celtic have been working on a new midfielder deal over recent days, with Paderborn star Mika Baur high on their wishlist, but they are not there yet.
Celtic still working on Baur deal
According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, the Hoops are still working to try to strike a deam with Paderborn for the signing of Baur.
He posted on X: "UPDATE: Celtic are hopeful of agreeing a £4m deal to sign Paderborn midfielder Mika Baur. The clubs have been locked in talks but are yet to reach a full agreement at this stage.
Baur, 22, is keen to join Celtic and is awaiting the green light to head to the UK for a medical."
The good news is that Celtic are likely to reach a deal for Baur, even if they have to slap a few hundred thousand on the deal to push it through.
At this point, the Bhoys need to be considering overpaying a little to get targets in amid a reported struggle to convince players to join.
Celtic's need for new signings far outweighs any financial concerns, which they are not going to have this summer due to the level of sales likely. And that's not to say they should go out and buy players for the sake of it, but paying a little over the odds to sign genuine targets is not likely to hurt the balance sheet, and the potential gain far outweighs any concerns.
At this stage, the Hoops are nowhere near ready for the new season, and should Arne Engels go in the coming weeks, O'Neill will be left with a concering looking midfield.
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