Things can change very quickly in football. Celtic know that very well. As a result, the focus of the board has to be on strengthening the squad further in the summer transfer window, even though Brendan Rodgers' side are on the verge of winning a treble. The aim is to not only continue domestic success but also build on their Champions League showing. Hopefully, the right additions will be made.
One position where the club looked to strengthen in the winter was striker, after seeing Kyogo Furuhashi leave for Rennes. Unfortunately, they did not end up making the signing they were looking for.
Celtic were linked with a lot of players during that time. One of them was David Strelec of Slovan Bratislava. As it turns out, a transfer bid was rejected for him but in the long run, that might have turned out for the better.
As reported by the Daily Record, Celtic had a £7 million bid pushed out in January but there could be a discount to be had this summer. Slovan Bratislava chief executive Ivan Kmotrik said:
"We took a risk with David. In the summer, maybe a slightly lower offer will come, it can happen.
"But David didn't leave in the winter because we weren't ready for it. The offers were very good, but the really interesting ones came at the last minute.
"We didn't have a transfer target to sign for the club that was ready, it would have been a patchwork move.
"Today, I can't rule out whether he will stay or leave. There is still interest in him.
"Compared to the winter, he will only be a few months older, his position has not deteriorated significantly.
"Maybe the club will earn a little less, but he will be well prepared and will bring adequate compensation to the club."
Superb Celtic news after seeing £7 million bid rejected
So, it looks like Strelec could be available for a bargain transfer fee in the summer. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Hoops even end up trying to sign him again or not.
It has become pretty clear that Strelec was open to a move in the winter. That did not happen. But between now and then, the Hoops might have identified other strikers that they want to sign.
At the same time, it is possible that they might not even try to sign a striker. Daizen Maeda has done a good job in a central role and Adam Idah is a great backup option as well. Why not give the third role to someone coming up through the ranks?