A Long "To Do" List As Time Runs Out

Below is the squad status chart regarding age profiles and contract status.

There are only 23 players currently “first team” and present.

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Of those, I’d say ten I’d be ok with starting a Champions League tie.

That’s a poor start.

Goalkeeper recruitment seems to have gone well. Celtic will have an issue at the end of the season, however. I hope Kasper Schmeichel continues to impress and that at least another year is triggered.

Defence remains of great concern. Only Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston would qualify as Champions League standard in my opinion. Grey Taylor (one year left on his contract with no sign of an extension for the soon-to-be 27-year-old), Tony Ralston, Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki should be adequate squad/cover players. That leaves a few wages to free up.

Midfield sees Callum McGregor the only veteran. With Matt O’Riley at prime asset age for a record sale and doubts about Reo Hatate’s long-term ambitions (he’ll be 27 this season), Paolo Bernardo’s purchase may be only the first of many. This area may need significant investment.

On the wings, it seems we can get 50-60 minutes of quality out of James Forrest, at least domestically, and Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda are becoming reliable. That leaves this part of the team very light on quality numbers also with at least one starter level player needed.

Adam Idah's return has strengthened the front line, and Maeda is a good alternate. The bonkers Kyogo Furuhashi to Manchester City rumours may cock this particular hat askew, however. At least one more is needed in this department.

We don’t know who will leave and we do know there are squad players who seemingly won’t feature that need to be moved on.

Otherwise, the shopping list is getting a little curled up around the edges and the contents are largely unchanged.

A starting level left back, centre back, possibly two central midfielders, a winger and a striker.

That doesn’t feel achievable in ten days.

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