It is very unlikely that Celtic will be able to make any additions in time for their UEFA Champions League qualifier play-off against Kairat Almaty. But one would hope that some signings are made by the time the transfer window closes. There are quite a few positions that are in need of urgent reinforcement.
Striker has to be considered one of them. Let's be honest, Adam Idah has not been able to convince that he is capable of being Celtic's number one option up top, despite getting plenty of chances to do so.
In recent days, Jamie Vardy's name has been increasingly doing the rounds of the Celtic rumour mill. But the Hoops are not the only club believed to be interested in him.
Earlier, rumours had emerged that Napoli wanted to sign Vardy following Romelu Lukaku's recent injury, which will keep him out of action for months. Of course, that is bad news for Celtic if they do indeed want to sign the Leicester City legend this summer. But Fabrizio Romano's recent update could prove to be a bit of a relief.
'Made contact' - Fabrizio Romano drops news that could impact Celtic plans
As reported by Romano, Napoli today made contact with Tolu Arokodare’s camp. The striker is valued at €20/25m by Genk after being the top scorer last season in Belgium.
So, it looks like Napoli have already made contact with a different striker as they look to bring in a replacement for Lukaku. Of course, that will help Celtic's chances of signing Vardy, if the Italian champions end up signing somebody else this summer.
Let's see how things play out between now and the end of the window. It is worth mentioning though that Brendan Rodgers did not rule out the possibility, as he has done with some other rumours in the past, when he was asked by the media about the rumours linking Celtic to Vardy. So, this might be a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Celtic have been pretty open to the idea of signing veteran players in recent years, either for low transfer fees, on loan or as free agents. That list includes names like Joe Hardy, Aaron Mooy and two of Vardy's former Leicester City teammates, Kasper Schmeichel and Jeffrey Schlupp. So, it would not come as a surprise if the Hoops tried to bring the striker in as well.
A lot of people will raise their eyebrows at the idea of signing a 38-year-old striker, who is available as a free agent. But then again, in modern football, we see careers have been extended. Oliver Giroud just joined Lille at 38 and scored in the very first Ligue 1 game. So, why can't someone like Vardy replicate that in a Celtic jersey in the Scottish Premiership?
Everybody would like the idea of Celtic going out and signing a big-money striker for the long term. But from what we have seen this summer, that is unlikely to happen. Someone like Vardy would be a pretty decent option B.