Celtic transfer state of play as emotional Balikwisha says Antwerp goodbyes and 3 more signings targeted

Balikwisha is almost certain to be the next signing in the door at Celtic and he was given an emotional sendoff tonight

Michel-Ange Balikwisha was given an emotional Antwerp sendoff as the winger gets set to join Celtic in a £4.5m deal.

It's been an increasingly open secret over the last 48 hours that the Belgian attacker is on his way to Parkhead as he answers Brendan Rodgers' call for more depth and quality in the final third.

He was left out of the squad to face Mechelen today and his manager Stef Wils admitted that was due to a deal being close.

But while he wasn't on the pitch, he was in the stands at Bosuil stadium, watching his side come from behind to win 2-1.

And after the game, he was paraded on the pitch and got the chance to say goodbye to his fans.

Some incredible pics show Balikwisha leading the celebrations as he approached the Ultras section and was seen waving a flag with the supporters.

After a deal for Balikwisha is concluded, it's expected Celtic will chase up to 3 more signings before the window closes.

The lowest priority of those may be another winger, though it is widely believed Rodgers would ideally like one more to pad things out in that area.

He's had to play Yang and James Forrest more than he would like in the early stages of the season while Benjamin Nygren, who Rodgers primarily sees as a midfielder, played off the right against Livingston.

The arrival of another wide man would take the heat off Daizen Maeda as the club's primary creator and even facilitate playing the Japan star through the middle with Balikwisha and the likes of Calvin Stengs, the other winger recently prominently linked, on either side.

Another is expected to be a new left-back with experienced Boca Juniors star Marcelo Saracchi on the agenda according to reports in South America.

The 27-year-old has been around the block with Levante, Galatasaray, and RB Leipzig in Europe but returned to South America with Boca in 2023.

He appears to be one man lined up as relief for Kieran Tierney, with Hayato Inamura the only other natural option in that position.

Saracchi has been capped nine times by Uruguay and, having generally played backup for Boca over the last two seasons, it's a position he would likely accept as Tierney's understudy at Celtic.

And then there's the hunt for a new outright striker.

Veteran free agent Jamie Vardy has been heavily linked and there's been no move from Rodgers or the club, publicly or privately, to shut that one down.

It makes sense logically on a number of levels. There's his previous relationship with Rodgers at Leicester, and there's the fact Celtic currently have three younger strikers in Adam Idah, Johny Kenny and Shin Yamada who would benefit immensely from working with him for a season or two.

But you do get the sense that, if signing Vardy was the priority, it would have happened by now.

The club may be pursuing other, less short-term options, like Slovan Bratislava's David Strelec.

And if a move for Vardy does come about then it seems likely to be in the final days of the window after other avenues have been explored – or even into September given he is a free agent.