One final piece of jigsaw remaining - what to expect from Celtic on deadline day?

Left-sided player is final piece of jigsaw for Scottish champions
Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond will be busy today.Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond will be busy today.
Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond will be busy today.

There is only one deal that Celtic will be seeking to conclude on deadline day. A left-back/left wing-back is perceived as the final piece of the club’s summer transfer business that head of recruitment Nick Hammond and chief executive Peter Lawwell will be beavering away on during the closing hours of the Covid-19-elongated summer window.

One move the Scottish champions will not be pursuing is a loan deal for West Ham attacker Robert Snodgrass, despite reports suggesting the 33-year-old former Scotland international was a target.

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It is more likely that they will try once more for Alfie Doughty from Charlton Athletic following a series of offers around the £1million mark that left the League One unprepared to sell the 20-year-old.

The club did have a genuine interest in Tottenham Hostpur left-sided defender Ryan Sessegnon, but Hoffenheim are set to acquire the £25m player on a season-loan deal.

Fears that Celtic could be vulnerable to late bids for a number of their key performers appear to have receded since they qualified for the Europa League group stages last week.

Although Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Olivier Ntcham have appeared unsettled by reported interest from elsewhere, manager Neil Lennon will not countenance any outgoings. He has been unequivocal that he will “dig their heels in” to ensure his squad is not weakened in the early stages of a monumental season. This is a campaign where the quarry is an historic tenth straight title and progress in Europe that could open up an automatic Champions League place further down the line. The stakes could not be higher.

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