Celtic have yet to kick a ball in the 2020/21 season but are already facing something of a crisis with Neil Lennon scrambling to get his goalkeeping department sorted out as quickly as possible.
Speaking to Football Insider, Alan Hutton believes that they need to move fast, one way or the other before the saga drags on any longer.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked about the recent speculation regarding both Craig Gordon and Fraser Forster, the former Scotland international said:
“Yeah, very much so. They’ve obviously offered him something that he’s not happy with, he thinks he should be getting better so he’s willing to hold out.
“A lot’s going to hang on whether Forster can be done because if they can’t they’re going to need to act quickly and get someone else in, especially with the Craig Gordon situation.
“The goalkeeping situation has been a difficult one for them towards the end of this season, so one way or another they’re going to have to sort it out quickly and get it done. The new season will be here before you know it.”
So is Hutton correct?
On this occasion, yes, the last thing Lennon would want going in to pre-season is having just one recognised senior goalkeeper and will want the situation sorted before moving on to other targets.
Forster had looked to be a shoe-in to return to Parkhead, however, with Chelsea and Arsenal now said to be interested in securing his services, there seems little chance of Celtic getting him back on loan – their only option is to pay the rumoured £10million asking price if they want him back.
Gordon had looked to be heading out the door six-months ago and has seen his contract expire without any hint of an offer, however, the last few days has seen the former Hoops number one receive a proposal which as Hutton alluded to – has been knocked back by the 37-year old as he looks for a return to first-team football.
Through a mixture of poor recruitment and bad luck, Celtic find themselves with a problem to solve, although it wouldn’t be catastrophic to go into the season without any additions, it would certainly be a sizeable blow to their title hopes.