From landing Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate in 2022, to Alistair Johnston in 2023 and to Nicolas Kuhn in 2024, the January window has proven a fruitful one for Scottish champions Celtic in recent years.
While most clubs may view the winter market as a tricky one to do business in, the Hoops capitalise on the chance to strengthen their hand heading into the second half of the campaign, with reinforcements set to be particularly vital this time around, should they qualify for the next round of the Champions League.
According to Sky Sports, that potential progression to the knockout stage could see an early reunion with former Parkhead hero, Kieran Tierney, with the potential there for the 27-year-old to sign on loan until the end of the season, ahead of returning permanently in the summer on a free transfer.
Whether the Scotland star does return over the coming weeks, or at the end of the campaign, it would prove a real coup for Brendan Rodgers’ side, with the rampaging left-back having dazzled in his previous spell in Glasgow, after chalking up 45 goals and assists in 170 first-team games, while winning a plethora of domestic honours.
Injuries have not been kind to the left-back since his 2019 exit from Celtic Park, but few would turn their nose up at a 2025 homecoming, with the Arsenal man likely to represent the perfect upgrade on that left flank.
There could actually be a completely ‘new look’ left-hand side in a sense if another deal is to get over the line, with the potential for Rodgers to acquire his next Scott Sinclair, to slot in ahead of Tierney.
Scott Sinclair's record at Celtic
All the talk of late has rightly been centred on Celtic’s wing wizard, Kuhn, with the German sensation – who boasts 27 goals and assists this season – having taken over the attacking mantle from Jota, emerging as the new talisman in green and white.
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Dazzling wingers have been a common theme for the Old Firm side in their illustrious history, with one of the more modern success stories having been that of Sinclair, following his arrival back in 2016.
Plucked from Aston Villa after enduring a difficult stint at Manchester City – where he featured just 19 times – the Englishman was an instant hit under Rodgers in that first season, scoring 25 goals in all competitions as Celtic romped to the treble.
That form saw Sinclair – who had played under Rodgers previously for Swansea City – claim the PFA Player of the Year award, while the man behind him, Tierney, took home the Young Player of the Year award gong.
Over the next two seasons, the experienced winger would go on to maintain that rampant record, racking up 103 goal involvements in just 167 games. In all, across his two spells under Rodgers, the now-veteran has netted more goals for the Northern Irishman than any other player, having scored 95 times in 238 appearances.
The current Bristol Rovers star certainly delivered, and then some, after arriving in Glasgow, with the potential there for a similar scenario to occur if Rodgers is to land another Villa man this month.
Celtic targeting the next Scott Sinclair
As was notably reported earlier this week, Celtic are said to have lodged an enquiry to sign rising star, Louie Barry, from Villa Park, with the 21-year-old earning admiring glances from a raft of clubs amid his rampant recent form in the EFL for Stockport County.
Stat (*per game)
Barry
Maeda
Games
23
20
Goals
15
5
Assists
2
5
Big chances missed
6
12
Big chances created
5
5
Key passes*
1.0
1.3
Pass accuracy*
81%
80%
Successful dribbles*
2.3
0.5
Possession lost*
10.8x
10.0x
Once on the books at Barcelona, the dynamic forward – who can operate through the middle or on the left flank – has long been touted for stardom, although it hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride since then.
In a similar mould to Sinclair, who endured numerous loan stints away from Premier League giants Chelsea in his youth, Barry has yet to be handed a proper chance at his parent club, while having previously struggled to make an impact across various temporary moves.
Loan stints at Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons and Salford City yielded only nine goals, although the last 18 months have been particularly eye-catching, with the youngster ripping it up at Stockport in League One and League Two, with 25 goals and seven assists in just 46 appearances.
Lauded for his “unbelievable” quality by Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson, Barry boasts that delightful combination of relentless pace and a telling end product, much like what Sinclair was able to showcase at Parkhead.
While there would be the small matter of having to oust Maeda on that left flank, it would be a truly exciting combination if the former England youth international was to join alongside Tierney, with Barry’s desire to cut inside set to be aided by the overlapping prowess of the Celtic academy graduate.
Of course, competition for Barry’s signature will unsurprisingly be fierce, but if Rodgers could fashion a new Tierney and Sinclair-style partnership down the left flank, then Celtic could well be on to a winner.
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