Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tried to sign a talented defender from the continent to ease his defensive crisis at Parkhead, but the player rejected the opportunity to join the Scottish champions and instead opted to stay at his current club, according to reports.
What's the latest news involving Celtic?
Last weekend, Celtic defeated their arch-rivals Rangers at Ibrox by a score of 1-0 despite having no away fans present in the stadium to claim victory in the first Glasgow Derby match of 2023/24, as per BBC Sport.
In a match mired in controversy surrounding Kemar Roofe's disallowed goal due to a foul from Cyriel Dessers on Gustaf Lagerbielke in the build-up to the eventual chalked-off strike, Celtic rallied to claim a crucial three points courtesy of a stunning volley from talisman Kyogo Furuhashi.
Speaking to Celtic TV via STV News, Hoops boss Rodgers saluted his players' efforts in the wake of recent criticism surrounding their performances and complimented their determination to overcome Rangers in a typically hostile atmosphere, as he stated: "I’m so happy for the players. I think they have been on death watch by the media for the last week or so, coming into this game. But for me, as a coach, it was about staying calm, working the players and knowing that they’re going to grow and develop and this is a big part of the development – to come and win away at Ibrox."
Danish midfielder Matt O'Riley, Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales and new boy Lagerbielke were the standout performers on the day for Celtic according to SofaScore, earning respective match ratings of 7.8/10, 7.4/10 and 7.2/10 for their exploits on the pitch.
Celtic summer window signings
Fee
Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)
£3m
Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)
£2.5m
Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)
£2m
Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)
£2m
Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)
£1m
Paulo Bernardo (Benfica)
Loan
Nat Phillips (Liverpool)
Loan
Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)
£4.3m
Luis Palma (Aris FC)
£3.5m
Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)
Undisc.
All fees according to Sky Sports
Who did Celtic miss out on signing?
Cited by The Daily Record, Sevilla sporting director Victor Orta has stated that defender Kike Salas rejected an opportunity to head to join Rodgers on a loan basis to help ease the boss' defensive concerns.
Orta said: "We have many young players who will be very good, but we have to be patient about their development. Kike Salas is a great example of a kid who has come through our youth system and many teams wanted him on loan.
"I had practically every team in the second division asking for him and he also had the chance to go to top foreign teams like Celtic and Red Bull Salzburg, but didn't. So he is very valued and we need to show more faith in these players. We can't be talking about home-grown talent and, when the home-grown talent plays, always questioning them."
What next for Celtic?
Celtic now sit top of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference and will return to action following the conclusion of the international break to face Dundee at Parkhead on September 16th, as per Sky Sports.
Champions League football will once again grace the Scottish giants this year and they will compete against Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico Madrid in Group E to try and secure European Football after Christmas.
Liverpool goalkeeper Caomhin Kelleher is reportedly a target for Celtic and is believed to be keen on a move to Parkhead despite the Reds rejecting advances from the Hoops to sign him in the summer transfer window, as per The Sun.
The Republic of Ireland international is behind Allison in the pecking order at Anfield; nevertheless, Liverpool would need to find a homegrown replacement before letting the 24-year-old move on to new pastures.