Summary Celtic have made nine new signings so far this summer and Ryan Bertrand could be the next to arrive as the club search for a new left-back. Bertrand would bring plenty of experience at the highest level, having won the Champions League with Chelsea. Even if a move doesn't happen today, there is still potential for a deal to happen after the deadline.
Celtic could well be busy on deadline day, and a transfer update has emerged regarding defender Ryan Bertrand.
Are Celtic signing Ryan Bertrand?
Brendan Rodgers hasn’t had it all his own way on the pitch following his return to Parkhead this summer, with the club already dropping points in the Scottish Premiership and being knocked out of the Scottish League Cup by Kilmarnock.
The Hoops have been active in the transfer window throughout the summer, though, with nine new players through the door at Parkhead. Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Tomoki Iwata all made the move to Scotland earlier in the window.
The most recent arrivals have been Honduras international Luis Palma in a transfer worth £3.5m and Liverpool defender Nat Phillips on a loan deal, with the club’s expenditure totalling just under £19m, but it looks as if more could be on the way ahead of this evening’s 11pm deadline, one being Benfica midfielder Paulo Bernardo who has undergone a Celtic medical.
A full-back appears to be next on the agenda for Celtic and Rodgers, with an update emerging on Bertrand. According to The Daily Record, Celtic have been offered the chance to sign Bertrand as a solution to their left-back search, with Rodgers on the hunt for a new left-back addition.
The Hoops are now considering making their move for the player to rival the likes of Greg Taylor and Alexandro Bernabei.
Where is Ryan Bertrand now?
Bertrand is currently a free agent after his deal with Leicester City expired earlier in the summer. The 34-year-old only made the move to The King Power Stadium in 2021 and turned out on just 11 occasions for the Foxes. He is best known for his time with Southampton, where he made 240 appearances.
Rodgers also knows Bertrand well after he played 31 times under the Northern Irishman – 20 of which came back in 2009/10 with Reading. The Englishman also featured on 11 occasions under Rodgers for Leicester, and he has previously been hailed as an “excellent” full-back in the media during his time on the south coast.
Should he head north on a free transfer, Bertrand would offer plenty of experience at the highest level, with the full-back previously winning the Champions League with Chelsea. He has made more than 260 appearances in the Premier League and over 100 games in the Championship, so he could help and rival the likes of Taylor and Bernabei, so it could be one to keep an eye on.
However, even if a move doesn’t go through today and Bertrand remains a free agent, there is scope for a deal to materialise beyond the deadline.