Winger signs for club-record fee, Trusty axed: Celtic’s dream summer window

It is hard to map out what exactly a successful season for Celtic would look like next season. They have won the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons and won the League Cup last term.

Perhaps Brendan Rodgers will be targeting more progress on the European stage, after reaching the play-off round of the Champions League against Bayern Munich in the 2024/25 campaign.

In order to kick on, the Hoops could look to use the summer transfer window to improve their squad, as they have already done with the additions of Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan, and Benjamin Nygren.

There could be more yet to come for the Hoops, though. Who will move on from Parkhead? Who will fill the spot Jota’s injury has left on the wing? Here’s what Celtic’s dream summer could look like if everything goes according to plan.

The new arrivals

Club-record winger and Premier League striker sign

Jota suffered a knee injury in May that ruled him out for up to nine months, and this has left the Premiership champions in need of a new left-sided attacker for next season.

Sarpsborg forward Sondre Orjasaeter is a reported long-term target for the Hoops, but is valued at £11m by the Norwegian club, which would see him equal the club-record fee paid for Arne Engels last year.

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent is a direct and dynamic winger who likes to take opposition players on, whilst delivering end product with goals and assists as well.

Orjasaeter may not be the only high-profile signing Celtic make this summer, in a dream world, as they are also reportedly confident of landing a loan move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson.

The Ireland international, whose finishing was lauded as “phenomenal” by James Milner, has scored 13 goals in 28 Premier League starts in his career, and could be the replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi, who joined Rennes in January.

Ferguson would not be the only striker to arrive at Parkhead this summer, though, as Callum Osmand has put pen to paper on a four-year contract. The 19-year-old is yet to make his senior bow for Fulham, however, and could be a back-up option at first.

As well as the teen sensation, Celtic are set to sign left-sided centre-back Hayato Inamura, as per Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, to bolster their depth at the back.

That is not all. The Hoops are also reportedly in the market to add another midfielder to the group, and are interested in signing Andy Irving from West Ham United to provide competition for Callum McGregor.

The Scotland international completed 90% of his attempted passes in ten Premier League outings last season, and could offer an assured presence in possession for Rodgers when called upon.

Final incomings: Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan, Benjamin Nygren, Sondre Orjasaeter, Evan Ferguson, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, Andy Irving

The outgoings

Bye-bye Auston Trusty

Naturally, a host of new signings will mean that members of the current first-team squad will likely move on from Parkhead, as has already been the case with Scott Bain’s move to Falkirk to make way for Doohan’s arrival as the third-choice goalkeeper.

Bringing Orjasaeter and Nygren in, on top of already having Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, Hyun-jun Yang, and Jota, could mean that Luis Palma and Marco Tilio, who spent last season on loan at Olympiacos and Melbourne City FC, respectively, could be on the chopping block.

They would find game time incredibly difficult to come by, hence why they had to go out on loan even before two potential new additions, and that is why they will be sold in an ideal world.

The same can be said of Stephen Welsh, Gustaf Lagerbielke, and Hyeok-kyu Kwon. They all spent the 2024/25 campaign out on loan away from Parkhead, and the signings of Inamura and Irving, in a dream summer, would send them even further down the pecking order, which is why they should be moved on.

Perhaps the most surprising exit that could happen in a dream world this summer, though, is one for Auston Trusty, who only joined the club from Sheffield United last year.

As you can see in the table above, Liam Scales significantly outperformed the USA international as a left-sided centre-back option for Celtic, making far fewer mistakes and winning a much higher percentage of his duels.

These statistics suggest that Scales should be the first-choice option in that area of the pitch, which is now set to be bolstered by the signing of Inamura. This would leave Rodgers with three left-sided centre-backs to fill one position, as well as having Maik Nawrocki who can cover there.

Therefore, moving Trusty on this summer, after just one season at Parkhead, could be a dream result for the Hoops, as it would recoup some money, if there are any interested clubs, and leave them with Scales and Inamura to compete for that position, with Nawrocki and Carter-Vickers on the other side.

Final outgoings: Auston Trusty, Luis Palma, Stephen Welsh, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Scott Bain, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon

The contract renewals

Daizen Maeda puts pen to paper

Celtic may also want to tie down some of their top talent this summer to avoid losing them. Sky Sports have reported that the club are set to open contract talks with both Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn.

Brentford have been linked with a potential bid for the Japan international, whilst RB Leipzig are reportedly in talks to sign the German winger ahead of next season.

This shows that the two Celtic attackers are in-demand and that is why pinning them down to new contracts could help to secure their respective futures at Parkhead.

Another player who could warrant a new contract is central midfielder Luke McCowan. His current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2027 and the Hoops may want to extend his deal to ensure that they are not in a position where they may have to sell him next year to avoid losing the Scottish ace for nothing.

Contracts renewed: Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, Luke McCowan

All in all, the business mapped out here could represent a special summer for the Premiership champions, as they would bolster their squad with fresh talent, secure the futures of their top players, and move on fringe players who are unlikely to contribute much on the pitch.

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