Celtic transfer situation becomes swift and significant after first new arrival as key date looms

Rodgers and McGregor won’t find much sympathy from supporters outside of Celtic Park given the vice-like grip they’ve had on Scottish football. Both men spoke very well just moments after a

gut-wrenching penalty shoot-out loss, in which McGregor missed the first kick. The captain called it his hardest moment in football and predicted it would take some time to get over.

Rodgers was seen comforting a tearful McGregor at the end of a momentous Scottish Cup final. The midfielder was one of a poor game’s better players, one of the few in green-and-white who played anywhere close to their peak level. As the Celtic manager admitted afterwards, their play was ponderous and lacked quality. Too many men just simply had an off-day.

The biggest blooper came from goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, whose error in punching a Shayden Morris cross into his own let to draw Aberdeen level was the sort of computer-game glitch you only see in Pro Evolution Soccer. The Dane was impressive for Celtic when he first arrived but since a chastening experience on international duty in March, when he lost to Portugal, injured his shoulder and was slated by his home press, he has not been the same since.

Celtic, bluntly, haven’t been the same team since exiting the Champions League to Bayern Munich in February. Since then, Hibs, St Johnstone, Rangers and now Aberdeen have given them a bloody nose. They drew at home to St Mirren the week before the cup final. All the good work of the first half of the season, as they romped clear in the Premiership and won the Premier Sports Cup, gave them breathing space, room for error. The mistake they could not afford to make was losing at Hampden last week. It was the most costly of slip-ups.

Rodgers right to point out Celtic success

Trebles have become an expectation for Celtic. Beating the Dons would have landed a sixth in nine years. Five in that timespan is still a remarkable achievement. Rodgers was right to point out that this has been a successful season: the league title, a cup and progressing to the knock-out stages of the Champions League. Celtic have gone further than last term, when they landed a domestic double but could not make progress in Europe.

This summer was always going to be important for Celtic, but losing the Scottish Cup puts the next couple of months into even sharper focus. While Celtic remain the best team in Scotland by a distance, Rodgers knows all too well that his squad needs replenished. He has stated as much on multiple occasions in the past month.

Celtic did not manage to sign a direct replacement for striker Kyogo Furuhashi in the winter window after the Japanese was sold to Rennes. They got away with it because his compatriot Daizen Maeda – voted player of the year – filled the goalscoring void. While he missed a good chance in stoppage time to win the cup, his exploits this term have been incredible.

His fellow forwards need to step up more. Jota’s unfortunate cruciate knee injury left them short of X-factor in the final third against Aberdeen. Nicolas Kuhn’s early-season form is a distant memory, with the German wide-man not as prolific as before. Age will eventually catch James Forrest and Yang Hjun-jun’s end product is meagre. Adam Idah, the £9 million signing from Norwich, continues to underwhelm at times. Are Celtic getting bang for the buck with the Irishman?

Arne Engels and Celtic

The same will be asked of record signing Arne Engels. The 22-year-old Belgian really impressed when he first arrived in September but recent months have led to questions over a man who cost £11m. Given this is his first season in Scottish football and his tender years, some patience needs to be afforded to the former Augsburg player.

Celtic clearly missed the injured Reo Hatate’s dynamism, forward-thinking play and creativity against Aberdeen. Paulo Bernardo, another young-ish midfielder, and Luke McCowan don’t carry the same impact. Hatate is one of Celtic’s most prized assets and has been on the radar of bigger clubs for some years now. Eventually one will pull the trigger and test Celtic’s resolve.

Behind the midfield, the right side of defence remains secure. Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers are consistent performers, while Kieran Tierney is clearly a significant upgrade at left-back, coming back to Parkhead on a free transfer after six years at Arsenal. Who partners Carter-Vickers at centre-half is a big debate, as neither Liam Scales or Auston Trusty have been able to nail down that place. A growing number of Celtic fans want an upgrade.

Schmeichel is contracted for another year and his back-up, Finland’s Viljami Sinisalo, has done well when called upon. Third-choice goalkeeper Scott Bain is expected to leave in the summer, with Ross Doohan coming in from Aberdeen on a free.

With Rangers expected to improve with a new manager and new owners, and the European bar already set at the Champions League last-16 play-offs, the pressure is on Celtic to deliver. At board level, the funds need to be released to Rodgers, and he and the recruitment team must get the signings right. There is little time to waste either – Celtic have to be ready for their Champions League play-off qualifier in mid-August. While some comfort can be taken from being seeded, this is not a tie they can afford to lose.

Evolution therefore remains the name of the game for Celtic. Reinforcements across defence, midfield and attack are required. Standing still might preserve the status quo but for the ambitious manager and fanbase to be happy, their business must be swift and significant.