The value of Celtic returning to the MLS market

This summer, Celtic will need to bolster a few spots as Brendan Rodgers tries to deepen his team.

Celtic has benefited much from investigating the transfer market not only in Europe but also globally in recent years. As demonstrated by the success of Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Daizen Maeda, Japan has recently been a particularly joyful hunting ground for our recruitment personnel.
Of course, considering the influence Alistair Johnston has had in green and white since joining from CF Montreal in January 2023, there are advantages to be gained from considering Major League Soccer as a potential source for future players.

With 53 games for the Bhoys, two goals, and five assists, the Canada international has established himself as a dependable first-choice right-back at Parkhead [Transfermarkt].

When you take this into account, it does seem odd that despite the large amount of talent to evaluate, we haven’t traveled back to the States in the last several windows to court potential incomings.

In any case, given Joe Hart’s probable retirement from football, there will be movement in the goalkeeping position in relation to topics centered around the demands of our team.

Rodgers will also be closely examining his forward line, with Kyogo Furuhashi possibly the only player who is virtually guaranteed a spot at Celtic for the upcoming year.

With five goals apiece, Adam Idah and Hyeongyu Oh’s long-term prospects are still unknown, but it might be worthwhile to look across the Atlantic once more in our search for a prolific goal scorer.

Duncan McGuire might be a profitable attacking option for Celtic.

Given Duncan McGuire’s current circumstances and Celtic’s exceptional skill at spotting striking players in the transfer market, it might be worthwhile to pursue the Orlando City forward.

The 23-year-old was scheduled to sign a contract with Blackburn Rovers in January for a reported $4 million (£3.1 million), but the transfer fell through at the last minute because of a “administrative error” [The Guardian].

While they look for another goal striker with prolific ability, McGuire, who is still at Orlando City, can prove to be a profitable option for Celtic.

The Omaha native has made 44 appearances for his current employers, according to Transfermarkt, and has impressively recorded 18 goals and three assists overall.

His contract expires in December 2024, which is encouraging because it could offer a chance to sign him for a fair price and keep him in the running.

With an average of 2.3 shots per game and a goal conversion percentage of 22% through four games, the 6′ 1″ American international has had a promising start to the MLS 2024 season [Sofascore].

Though the current Stateside season is still early, we can observe that, using a larger sample size from the previous year, McGuire amassed an impressive 65% shooting accuracy, connecting on 24 of his 37 attempts and scoring 13 times [Fotmob].

According to WhoScored, the former Lane United player has won 1.3 headers in league play this season, demonstrating his ability to match the physicality of opposing central defenders.

Just two weeks prior, McGuire scored the first goal in Orlando City history in just 13 seconds by seizing a through pass from Rafael Santos during a match against Minnesota United.
If Parkhead executives pursue McGuire, Celtic would score a possible deal at a time when teams are typically obliged to pay a premium for attacking ability.

If not, it could be worthwhile to keep an eye on Los Angeles FC’s slightly more experienced Timothy Tillman, Austin FC’s Owen Wolff, or Philadelphia Union winger Jack McGlynn.

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