“Celtic’s Transfer Window Shake-Up: Welsh Stays, But Trio Set for Exit?”
Celtic are determined to keep defender Stephen Welsh at this point in the transfer window, despite interest from KV Mechelen, according to Sky Sports News. However, the club is open to letting three other players depart.
Celtic have had a relatively quiet summer, bringing in only three new players: Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Viljami Sinisalo. Since the end of the 2023/24 season, four first-team members have exited the club, with Joe Hart retiring and Benjamin Siegrist, Sead Haksabanovic, and Hyeon-gyu Oh all moving on. Now, more players could leave before the transfer window closes, as the club is willing to entertain offers.
While Welsh is likely to stay, Celtic is open to bids for Gustaf Lagerbielke, Yuki Kobayashi, and Maik Nawrocki. Lagerbielke has drawn interest from Italy, and Kobayashi is being eyed by St Mirren. Both could leave either on a permanent basis or on loan before the August 30th deadline. Nawrocki, who suffered a pre-season injury, is available for a loan move as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his defensive options by offloading some fringe players.
Although Celtic had shown interest in Burnley defender Dara O’Shea earlier in the window, they are now likely to look elsewhere due to Burnley’s high asking price.
In addition to these potential defensive departures, Celtic is also focused on keeping hold of Denmark international Matt O’Riley. The midfielder, who was one of the club’s top performers last season with 18 goals and 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership, has attracted interest from several Premier League teams, including Southampton and West Ham. Celtic has already turned down a £14 million bid from Southampton and three bids from Europa League winners Atalanta, holding out for a club-record fee of £25 million.