The Celtic goalkeeper hunt is still ongoing as Brendan Rodgers looks to secure a competent replacement for Joe Hart.
Months have passed, and there is still a sense of ambiguity over who his successor could be, though links are growing stronger regarding particular targets.
Celtic remain in talks with Sparta Prague over Peter Vindahl Jensen; meanwhile, Newcastle United veteran Martin Dubravka is another option under consideration.
With fans encountering some restlessness over the situation, it is worth looking at previous case studies to understand when the Bhoys may act in the market, albeit the recruitment landscape is slow-burning this summer due to two international tournaments still in play.
When Celtic brought Joe Hart to Parkhead in 2021
The last time Celtic had to recruit a new number one was in the infancy of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure circa 2021, when the club were reeling from a forgettable campaign the year previous, finishing 25 points behind Rangers.
Across the board, there was a need for stability between the sticks following a goalkeeper merry-go-round in which Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard all took turns as the preferred choice in 2020/21.
Hart’s arrival helped to quell many of those previous concerns; however, when exactly did he sign for Celtic, and how can we measure this against the wider context of their current situation?
To be exact, supporters had to wait until August 3rd, 2021, to see their cries for a stable netminder addressed [BBC Sport]. James McCarthy also joined on the same day as the former England international.
With the pressure of a Champions League qualifying double-header against Midtjylland that summer, Bain took the lead against the Danish side in a 3-2 aggregate defeat across both legs.
He also started in Postecoglou’s opening day defeat to Heart of Midlothian, but thankfully, that wasn’t a sign of things to come as Celtic went on to claim the title.
One wouldn’t suspect that replacing Hart will stretch into early August, given the Hoops commence their Scottish Premiership season at home to Kilmarnock on the first weekend of the month (4th August).
Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder that negotiations can be difficult. That isn’t someone anyone wants to hear, so hopefully, a resolution can be found soon to give the support some much-needed excitement!
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