Champions League qualification waits for no balance sheet

It is becoming clear with just 33 days until the first Champions League qualifier Celtic must sign at least two quality wingers, and they must arrive very quickly indeed to ensure they have a fighting chance of integrating into the manager’s system ahead of those ties.

At present, we’ve got Maeda, Forrest, Yang, Tilio and Palma. That’s your five – and that includes a 33-year-old veteran, two wingers who flatter to deceive often, one who has barely kicked a ball for the club in two years – and another who the manager seemed to prefer as his first-choice striker until Jota got his injury.

If one picks up a knock, or simply goes off the boil, we’re in real trouble. European nights demand impact off the bench, unpredictability and pace. Right now, we’ve simply not got enough of any of that.

Brendan Rodgers knows the lie of the land. He knows modern European football is played in transition. He’s been vocal about needing a different profile of attacker – you’d assume he’s after wide men who can stretch the game, beat a man, and deliver with purpose. But with just four weeks to go until the qualifiers, we’re still sniffing around names instead of signing them.

The name most discussed is Sondre Ørjasæter, a 21-year-old Norwegian winger with serious potential. But word is his camp are in no rush. Waiting. Assessing. Well, Celtic don’t have the luxury of time.

There’s talk of Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha

There’s talk of Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha, but we’ve been talking about him for three transfer windows now, so we’re either keeping him hanging whilst flirting with alternatives, or we’ve lost interest altogether.

It even got to the point there were whispers of Luis Palma potentially returning as a credible rotational option – thankfully it seems that rumour may be without substance. But no deal is done for any wide attacker yet. Meanwhile, Europe ticks closer.

To the club’s credit, the signing of Benjamin Nygren has stirred excitement. He’s seen as the type we might normally miss out on – highly rated, technically sharp, and full of intent and intelligence. But he’s one for the middle it would seem on his pre-season performances – meaning we still badly need strength on both flanks.

Hit these qualifiers cold, with no width or pace, and we risk an early exit, again. And make no mistake, any team worth their salt will target our flanks.

Maeda is tireless but needs a back-up and is arguably better through the middle

Maeda is tireless but needs a back-up and is arguably better through the middle. Tilio is getting a run-out because we have limited options. Yang shows glimpses but fades. Forrest can’t be expected to carry that burden anymore. And Palma? He’ll likely be away unless something dramatic happens, going by the manager’s comments last night.

This isn’t the time for caution, that has long since passed. The board must back Rodgers with players who fit his system. Not just more projects or late in the window panic loans – we need two ready-made wingers with flair and final product. And assuming Nygren is one for the centre of the park, then we probably need a third, even just on a short-term basis to cover the length of Jota’s injury.

It’s possible the board are waiting to shift a few bodies before committing to new arrivals – trimming the wage bill before opening the chequebook. But if that’s the plan, then those exits need to happen immediately.

Champions League qualification waits for no balance sheet

Holding out for fees or clean exits might suit the accountants, but it risks leaving Rodgers short when it matters most. If we can’t move players out in time, then the club needs to take the financial hit and get the wingers in now – or we’ll pay a far bigger price.

There’s still time – but not much of it at all, arguably a week to ten days at the most. The warning signs are clear. If we stumble into August without the width we need, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves. Because you don’t win European ties with limited rotational options on the wing, it’s an area where genuine depth is required. You win them with quality on the ball, variance off the bench, and a team built to do damage out wide.

Rodgers needs his wingers; his system relies on having them. The fans can see it; it’s all anyone is talking about today. And the clock’s ticking, ever closer to those qualifiers. The time for paralysis in the boardroom is gone. It’s time to get deals done.