The summer transfer window officially opens for business on Friday, the same day as Scotland's Euro 2024 opener, and Celtic may look to dip into the market to bolster their squad.
Brendan Rodgers has just under three months left to improve his options across the pitch by bringing in new signings and moving on players who are not part of his plans moving forward.
The Northern Irish head coach is having to plan without his first-choice goalkeeper from the 2023/24 campaign, though, as Joe Hart has left the club.
His contract expired at the end of last month and the 37-year-old shot-stopper had already decided that he would be retiring from professional football this summer.
This means that the Bhoys are currently without a number one to start between the sticks next season and will have to dip into the market to secure a replacement for the former England international.
Celtic may want to get a goalkeeper in as quickly as possible as they are a key part of the spine of the team and Rodgers may want to have them in for the start of pre-season to ensure that they can gel with the back four and adjust to the tactics.
Celtic plotting swoop for Premier League colossus
The Scottish giants may be about to make progress in their pursuit of an heir to Hart's position at the club as they are reportedly plotting a swoop for a goalkeeper from the Premier League.
According to The Northern Echo, the Hoops are preparing a 'formal approach' to sign Newcastle United shot-stopper Martin Dubravka this summer.
Rodgers appears to be lining up a bid to bring the Slovakia international to Parkhead as he looks set to be out of the picture at St. James' Park next term.
The report claims that the Magpies are in talks with Burnley over a deal to sign England U21 international James Trafford to bolster their goalkeeping ranks, as they go in search of someone to compete with Nick Pope.
That would leave Dubravka as the third-choice goalkeeper for the Premier League side and The Northern Echo claims that the club want to cash in on the former Manchester United loanee as a result.
He has one year left on his contract on Tyneside and Newcastle do not want to allow him to run down the final 12 months of his deal before leaving for nothing, which has opened the door for Rodgers and Celtic to potentially move in to snap him up.
The Bhoys can now secure Hart 2.0 by swooping for the experienced shot-stopper, as he could be another Premier League veteran to make the move to Parkhead and impress on the pitch.
Celtic's Joe Hart masterclass
Ange Postecoglou signed the former Manchester City star on a permanent deal from English side Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021 after he had fallen down the pecking order under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Aged 34 at the time, Celtic knew that Hart was not coming through the door to be their number one option for the next five to ten years but the hope may have been that he could have an instant impact on the pitch.
The English titan came in after racking up 340 appearances in the Premier League during his career down south, playing for the likes of City, Spurs, Burnley, and Birmingham.
He used his experience and quality to be a fantastic servant for Postecoglou and Rodgers across his three years at Parkhead, helping the team to win the Scottish Premiership title in all three seasons.
Appearances
35
37
37
Goals conceded
19
30
29
Save percentage
73%
65%
68%
Clean sheets
19
16
14
Error led to shot/goal
1
4
1
As you can see in the table above, Hart was largely reliable during his time at the club, bar some struggles during the 2022/23 campaign, as he kept 49 clean sheets in three league terms combined.
The former England star gave the club three fantastic seasons before his retirement, which shows that Postecoglou played a masterclass by bringing him to Parkhead.
Instead of being an experienced, older, player who was just looking for a last payday, Hart was a superb performer who delivered high standards up until his retirement – keeping a clean sheet in the SFA Cup final against Rangers in his final game.
Why Martin Dubravka could be Joe Hart 2.0
Dubravka would arrive at Parkhead with plenty of experience at the top level, with 152 Premier League games and seven matches in the Champions League, under his belt.
At the age of 35, the Slovakian giant would also be a relatively short-term fix between the sticks for Rodgers, much like Hart was when Postecoglou signed him from Spurs.
He may only have two or three years of service left in him but that could be enough to win some titles for the Scottish giants before they can then look to the future after that.
Dubravka, who Eddie Howe dubbed "high-class" is coming off the back of a solid season in the Premier League with Newcastle, as he was thrust into action after an injury to Pope during the campaign.
Firstly, the £40k-per-week Magpies veteran prevented 0.61 goals based on the xG of the shots against his goal, which shows that he was a reliable shot-stopper who was slightly above average across his 23 appearances.
Appearances
23
37
Sofascore rating
7.20
6.85
Save success rate
68%
68%
Run-out success rate
100%
85%
Error led to shot/goal
1
1
Ground duel success rate
45%
40%
As you can see in the table above, Dubravka matched Hart's save success rate in the Premiership whilst being more efficient as a sweeper and in his duels on the ground during the 2023/24 campaign.
These statistics suggest, at the very least, that the Newcastle outcast has the quality to be a like-for-like replacement for the former England international.
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Like when they signed Hart, Celtic would be signing an experienced Premier League performer with the quality to be a fantastic shot-stopper and presence between the sticks at Parkhead, which is why this could be a superb deal for the club this summer.