Celtic have around a week left to complete any further business in the market before the January transfer window slams shut ahead of the final months of the campaign.
Brendan Rodgers and his side are set to compete for the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish FA Cup between now and May and the squad has already been bolstered with one signing.
Winger Nicolas Kuhn was brought in from Rapid Wien on a five-and-a-half-year contract earlier this month but was not available for selection for the 5-0 win over Buckie Thistle on Sunday.
Appearances
16
Goals
Two
Assists
Five
Big chances created
11
Key passes per game
1.8
Football Insider reported that Rodgers would also like to add a goalkeeper, a left-back, and a centre-forward to his squad to improve his options across the pitch, although it remains to be seen whether or not all of those positions will be addressed this month.
Interest in Celtic star
Whilst the Scottish giants want to bolster their side, the club also has to deal with interest in their current stars from clubs in England and across Europe.
According to a recent report from Football Insider, the Hoops are prepared to block any incoming offers for star central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers this month.
The outlet claimed that Rodgers does not believe that he can afford to lose such a vital player to his team midway through the campaign, despite plenty of interest in the former Tottenham prospect – who they value at £20m.
SBI Soccer reported earlier this month that the impressive defender is attracting interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League, who want to bolster their respective backlines.
West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford are all said to be keen on a swoop for the Bhoys colossus, although there is no mention of how much they are prepared to pay for him.
Rodgers could land a dream heir to Carter-Vickers, should he depart at the end of the season, by securing a deal to sign reported transfer target Scott McKenna.
Sky Sports claimed at the start of January that Celtic and Rangers are both among the clubs interested in a deal to sign the Scotland international from Nottingham Forest before the deadline.
The report claimed that the towering central defender could be allowed to move on from the Premier League side as he has not established himself as a regular for them this season.
It added that the Hoops could sign McKenna on an initial loan deal until the end of the 2023/24 campaign before his contract expires in the summer, which would then allow him to join the Scottish side on a free transfer ahead of next season.
The stats that show why Carter-Vickers is important to Celtic
Losing Carter-Vickers would be a big blow for Celtic as the former Spurs prodigy has showcased his quality in and out of possession for the club since his initial loan move in 2021.
The 26-year-old titan hit the ground running in Scotland during the 2021/22 campaign with a string of fantastic performances at the back under Ange Postecoglou.
Appearances
33
Sofascore rating
7.33
Clean sheets
17
Duel success rate
68%
Pass accuracy
90%
As you can see in the table above, the USA international was efficient and effective with his play on and off the ball as Celtic won the title and shut out the opposition in just over half of his appearances in the top-flight.
He followed that up with 13 clean sheets in 29 Premiership appearances during the 2022/23 campaign as Postecoglou's side won the title once again.
The towering defender won 69% of his individual duels and completed 92% of his attempted passes in the league, which shows that his defensive and offensive contributions in his debut season were not a flash in the pan.
This term, Carter-Vickers has made 13 appearances in the top-flight and dominated opposition attackers again with an impressive duel success rate of 71%, to go along with a pass accuracy of 92%.
These statistics show that the £20m-rated giant has consistently been a reliable centre-back with his passing out from the back, as he has rarely given possession away, and his dominant defending in 50/50 contests.
The stats that show why McKenna could replace Carter-Vickers
Rodgers could now land a dream replacement for Carter-Vickers by snapping up McKenna, who could spend five months adjusting to life at Parkhead before the American defender is potentially sold to a Premier League club in the summer amid interest from a host of teams.
The 27-year-old colossus made 82 Premiership appearances for Aberdeen before his move down south to Forest in the summer of 2020, which means that he already knows the division and what it takes to perform at that level.
This means that it could be easier for the Scottish ace to adapt to life in Glasgow than it would be for a centre-back coming in with no prior experience of playing in the country.
In terms of what he offers on the pitch, McKenna could also be a fantastic replacement for Carter-Vickers due to his dominant defensive presence.
Interestingly, FBref listed the current Celtic star as the most similar player to the Forest ace during the 2020/21 Championship campaign, when the USA international was on loan with Bournemouth.
McKenna made 24 appearances in the division that season and caught the eye with a duel success rate of 69%, whilst Carter-Vickers won 60% of his battles with the Cherries.
The 27-year-old Forest enforcer, who was hailed as "incredible" by journalist Callum Castel last season, has continued his dominant defensive work in the Premier League since the club's promotion to the top-flight in 2022.
He won 61% of his contests and helped his team to keep five clean sheets in 20 league outings as they avoid relegation at the first time of asking.
His game time has been limited this season but McKenna has still been able to impress. The Celtic target has won an outstanding 79% of his duels and made 5.0 ball recoveries and 5.0 clearances per game across five Premier League appearances this term.
Therefore, the 6 foot 2 giant could be the dream replacement for Carter-Vickers ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He already knows Scottish football and has the physical and defensive attributes to be a dominant enforcer at the back for Rodgers, which is what the America talent has been over the past two-and-a-half-years.