Why Celtic's slow and steady transfer approach could pay off

[BBC] This won't be a popular view among sections of the Celtic support, but I wonder if the club's calm, cautious outlook in an ever-frenzied football transfer market is, after all, working out fruitfully. Quality over quantity is the mantra, but with the signing deadline looming for next week's Champions League play-off first leg with LASK Linz, has the Parkhead outfit done enough to maximise their chances of going through to the lucrative main phase of European football's elite competition? The short answer to that is no, not yet. The high-profile, high-cost arrivals of Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran have added goals, movement and excitement to a front line that was dreadfully stale for most of last season. Their input will be crucial in the two matches against the Austrians. They can't, however, do it all themselves. They need better service, which is why Celtic have been trawling Europe for wingers. Were they finally to get a deal over the line for Egypt international Haissem Hassan, they could start to argue that real progress is being made and that a very decent-looking squad is being assembled. The pace of signings may not be to the liking of many in the support base, but the complexities of international transfers, and the bloated prices clubs quote to suitors like Celtic who are known to be fairly cash-rich, means certain deals effectively become non-starters. The interesting one for me this calendar year is the curious case of Fares Ghedjemis. Heavily linked with a move to Celtic in January before deciding to stay and help Frosinone's successful Serie A promotion push. The multi-million-pound valuation put on his head by his current employers, however, seems at odds with his current status in the game. Yes, the 23-year-old is a current Algeria international, who even played a few minutes in the recent World Cup. He has terrific potential, clearly. Enough to justify the apparent eight-figure cheque his current employers want for his signature? This, remember, for a player whose career so far can boast just half a dozen top-flight games anywhere? His trajectory has mainly been through the French and Italian lower leagues and, while there's clearly a good player there, the telephone-number figures associated with him seem somewhat premature. The smart suits at Frosinone paid approximately £300,000 to take him from Rouen just over two years ago - an excellent piece of work which should be roundly applauded. It would appear, though, that they're after at least 30 times that now. I've heard of hyper-inflation in Italy, but no wonder Celtic, and others, are baulked at the asking price. If Hassan arrives in Glasgow's east end, as is now largely anticipated, the Ghedjemis thing surely becomes moot. They're not going to spring for two expensive wingers on top of the forwards they've already recruited - not unless Michael Nicholson and co take a flamethrower to their previous policies. I only use the Algerian as an example of the perils of the current market. The clamour for signings, and for money to be spent, has to be balanced against securing value for your investment. If the calm, collected approach secures Hassan for a sum and a contract Celtic are comfortable with, does the delay in his arrival really matter all that much? What the supporters can legitimately criticise the club for is the failure to bolster other elements of the squad. Two summer signings by (at the time of writing) 12 August is pretty paltry, especially when you look at the volume of business being done elsewhere. Martin O'Neill has been openly asking for reinforcements for a good while now. They may be in the pipeline. A return for Greg Taylor from Greece? Midfielder Mika Baur from Germany? This could yet turn into the best window Celtic have had since Ange Postecoglou's first season in 2021-22. If the work behind the scenes is going to plan, the under-fire board may well be able to prove that slow and steady sometimes does win the race.