The 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season kicks off in less than a month and Celtic are still yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window.
Brendan Rodgers' side have already played two pre-season friendlies, drawing 1-1 with Ayr and beating Queen's Park 6-4, but are yet to dip into the market to bolster the squad.
The Hoops are in need of a new number one and have been linked with moves for both Newcastle United's Martin Dubravka and Croatia star Dominik Livakovic.
Joe Hart retired at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, after three years at Parkhead, and Rodgers must now find his first-choice goalkeeper for next season.
The Scottish Premiership champions are also reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal, whilst they are plotting a second bid to sign Adam Idah from Norwich City.
Celtic could also make additions to their midfield ranks as they have been linked with an interest in a central midfielder from the English Championship this week…
Celtic's interest in Championship maestro
According to HITC, Rodgers is keen on a swoop to sign Australia international Riley McGree from Middlesbrough ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report claims that the Hoops failed to sign the £9.4k-per-week midfield maestro during Ange Postecoglou's time in Glasgow but the Championship star has remained on their radar.
They are now looking at the 25-year-old whiz as a possible target to join the club this time around, as they look to bolster their midfield options before the end of the window.
It states that his current contract has one year left to run and this means that it could be the last chance for Boro to cash in on him before a free transfer exit next year.
They would either need to pin him down to a contract extension or sell him before the end of the window to ensure that they do not lose him for nothing.
This suggests that the door could be open for Celtic to make a move for the left-footed gem in the coming weeks. However, the report does not reveal how much Middlesbrough would demand for McGree or how much the Hoops would be prepared to pay for him.
If the Scottish giants could secure a deal to sign the midfield wizard, though, then Rodgers could find his next version of Tom Rogic in the middle of the park in Glasgow.
Tom Rogic's midfield spark for Celtic
McGree would not be the first left-footed midfielder from Australia to turn up at Parkhead in an attempt to make his mark on the pitch in the Premiership.
Rogic enjoyed a fantastic spell with the Hoops during his time in Scotland a midfield maestro who had the quality to chip in as a scorer and a creator of goals.
The talented ace joined the club from Central Coast at the start of 2013 and eventually moved on in the summer of 2022, 18 months short of a decade in Glasgow.
In that time, the Australia international racked up 46 goals and 49 assists in 272 appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys, including 31 goals and 35 assists in 165 outings in the Premiership.
These statistics show that the central midfielder had the quality to move forward into attacking positions to contribute as both a scorer and a creator for the Hoops.
Appearances
32
Starts
20
Goals
6
Assists
6
Big chances created
10
Key passes per game
1.5
As you can see in the table above, Rogic enjoyed a strong final season at Paradise before his exit in the summer of 2022, with 12 direct goal contributions in just 20 league starts.
The Celtic whiz also provided a threat in transition with his ability on the ball as he completed 1.6 dribbles per game with a success rate of 57%, which shows that the experienced ace could glide past opposition players to make things happen in the final third.
Rodgers, who worked with Rogic throughout his first spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019, could now find his new version of left-footed ace by securing a deal to sign McGree before the end of the summer transfer window.
Why Celtic should sign Riley McGree
The Premiership champions should press ahead with a swoop to land the Australia international because he could add another attacking threat to the side.
McGree, who was hailed as "terrific" by manager Michael Carrick, was restricted to just 14 starts and 22 appearances in the Championship through injury last term, which limited his impact on the pitch.
The 25-year-old star only produced four goals and one assist from midfield in that time but did rank within the top 9% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.72) and the top 35% for progressive carries per 90 (3.22).
This shows that McGree can provide quality in possession without being the player to carry out the final action, as a scorer or a creator, by being the one to progress the play through a pass or carry to get his teammates into dangerous positions at the top end of the pitch.
When he was able to get on the pitch on a regular basis in the 2022/23 campaign, though, the Rogic-esque ace showcased his ability in the final third.
Appearances
43
Goals
6
Assists
3
Big chances created
8
Key passes per game
1.1
Pass accuracy
83%
As you can see in the table above, McGree played in 43 of Middlesbrough's 46 Championship games and caught the eye with 14 goals and 'big chances' created combined.
He created more than one chance per game on average and proved himself to be a midfielder who can push forward to be a difference-maker in matches.
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1 ByDan EmeryJul 9, 2024
This is why the Boro star could come in as Rogic 2.0 – alongside their shared nationality and favoured foot – for Celtic as a midfield maestro who can link up play between the midfield and the attack, with his progressive passing and carrying, whilst also being a threat as a scorer and a creator.