Celtic are confident of bringing in three new players before the end of the transfer window, according to Football Insider.
The Hoops are understood to be keen on recruiting two new full-backs and a first-team quality attacking player.
Neil Lennon has been forced to deploy Kristoffer Ajer at right-back in the opening stages of the new Scottish Premiership season, while a separate report from Football Insider suggests that the Bhoys are in talks to snap up Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor.
With regards to a high-quality creative player, the champions have been linked with a move for out of favour Bournemouth winger Jordan Ibe, as per Football Insider, but could face issues with regards to covering his wage demands.
TiF Tactics – Where do Celtic need to reinforce?
Celtic fans won’t want to hear it, but it really feels as if the gap between themselves and bitter rivals Rangers is narrowing all the time.
The Gers have bought well this summer, with Joe Aribo and Sheyi Ojo in particular looking as if they could be inspired deals.
By contrast, Celtic haven’t really snapped up anybody to get the pulse racing.
Spending £7.2 million on Christopher Jullien from Toulouse [Transfermarkt] seems like smart business, as does bringing Fraser Forster back to the club, but with Rangers’ increased attacking capabilities, a little more firepower certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
If they could get a deal over the line for Jordan Ibe, that would potentially be a game-changer.
The 23-year-old has lost his way a little on the south coast and has played just 22 minutes for Bournemouth so far this campaign.
Undoubtedly, however, there is a talent in there somewhere.
Even during a relatively poor campaign, Ibe managed to make 2.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last term, as well as 1.1 key passes, as per Whoscored.
Crucially though, the wide man has shown that he can offer even more than that.
During his real breakout season at Liverpool back in 2015/16, when he made 27 league appearances for the Reds, he was averaging 1.5 key passes per game, as well as 4.7 successful dribbles [Whoscored].
Given the right backing and faith, there’s no saying that he can’t reach that kind of form again, and maybe a change of scene and the promise of regular first-team football would be enough to coax the Ibe of four years ago out of his slump.
Is a deal for Ibe likely to happen?
As is so often the case in modern football, money is the issue.
You would imagine that Ibe would jump at the chance to play for a club of Celtic’s stature, especially if he was brought in on a season-long loan that allowed him to jump-start his Premier League ambitions once more.
According to that report from Football Insider, however, the Hoops would have to fork out for the entirety of his wages, believed to be around £40,000-a-week.
That’s an awful lot of money, and the chances are that a solution will only be found should the Bhoys manage to move on some players in the meantime.
But that could prove to be self-defeating for a club looking to strengthen in the latter stages of the transfer window.
Unless they can find a way around this impasse, it looks as if Celtic may have to look elsewhere for a playmaker.