Celtic face a decisive 48 hours in the transfer market, with assistant manager Shaun Maloney confirming the club are still targeting reinforcements before the Scottish deadline.
Maloney said Celtic could add a striker, with Chelsea teenager Shim Mheuka reportedly among the players under consideration on loan, but insisted no deal had been agreed.
“It’s pretty difficult to talk about” prospective signings, Maloney said. “Nothing’s confirmed with anyone.”
He added that any move in the forward department was likely to be concluded within the next day or two, or Celtic would proceed with their current options.
“Any signing in that striker area, it’ll either transpire in the next 24, 48 hours, or we’ll just go as we are,” he said.
The club are also seeking additions in other key positions, with Maloney indicating that Celtic could be looking at three or four players overall. He said the priority was to strengthen the squad in time for the Europa League registration deadline, which falls at 23:59 BST on Wednesday, 2 September.
Celtic’s domestic transfer window closes at 17:00 BST on Thursday, 3 September, giving the Scottish champions limited time to complete their business.
Maloney also addressed speculation over Reo Hatate’s future. The Japan midfielder has scored 33 goals in 191 appearances since joining Celtic in January 2022 and could leave the club before the window shuts.
“He’s a brilliant player,” Maloney said. “What he’s done at the club has been really, really good. He’s won many titles here. If he does move on then he’ll remember how good a player he was for this club.”
With European qualification adding urgency to Celtic’s recruitment plans, Maloney said the club would be looking to secure new arrivals as quickly as possible.
“All the guys that we’d be looking to try and bring in, with that European deadline we want to try and get them in the squad if we can,” he said.
