MAEDA MISSING? Celtic’s Dream Starting XI After January Transfer Window Looks FORMIDABLE But….

Celtic’s Dream Starting XI After January Transfer Window

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will be eager to bolster his squad in the January transfer window, following a summer of significant change at Parkhead. The departure of key player Matt O’Riley to Brighton in a £25m deal has left a void in the team, but Rodgers has already made some shrewd additions to his squad.

Here, we take a look at Celtic’s dream starting XI after the January transfer window, with two potential new signings and a few tweaks to the existing lineup.

In goal, Kasper Schmeichel remains the undisputed number one, having kept nine clean sheets in 12 Premiership appearances this season.

At right-back, Alistair Johnston has been a revelation since his move to Glasgow, scoring four goals and creating eight ‘big chances’ in 12 league games.

Cameron Carter-Vickers will continue to marshal the defence alongside Auston Trusty, who has impressed with his passing range and defensive prowess.

Greg Taylor will retain his place at left-back, having started nine of Celtic’s 12 league games this season.

In midfield, Callum McGregor will continue to dictate the tempo of the game, alongside Arne Engels, who has scored two goals and created three ‘big chances’ in seven league starts.

The first potential new signing comes in the form of Lennon Miller, the highly-rated Motherwell midfielder who has been linked with a £4m move to Celtic. Miller’s impressive statistics in the Premiership this season suggest he could be an excellent addition to Rodgers’ squad.

In attack, Nicolas Kuhn will continue to lead the line, having scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 18 appearances for Celtic this season.

Kyogo Furuhashi will retain his place alongside Kuhn, having started nine of Celtic’s 12 league games this season.

The second potential new signing comes in the form of Michel-Ange Balikwisha, the Royal Antwerp winger who has been linked with a £7.5m move to Celtic. Balikwisha’s impressive form in the Pro League last season suggests he could be an excellent addition to Rodgers’ squad, offering more quality as a goalscorer and creator than Daizen Maeda.

With these two potential new signings and a few tweaks to the existing lineup, Celtic’s dream starting XI after the January transfer window could look like this: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; McGregor, Engels, Miller; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Balikwisha.