Celtic Summer Signing Set to Leave in January

Celtic's 2023 summer transfer window is looking like a disaster with every passing matchday. The club signed nine players, seven permanently and two on loan deals, but nobody has really managed to establish themselves as key starters.

Luis Palma made a bright start to life at Parkhead but seems to be struggling in recent weeks as his form has dipped. With Daizen Maeda back and Liel Abada expected to return soon, one has to wonder if the Honduran winger will remain a starter.

Other than Palma, nobody has even gotten regular playing time. The likes of Yang Hyun-jun, Odin Thiago Holm and Paulo Bernardo have gotten minutes here and there.

Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke played early on but don't seem to be in Brendan Rodgers' plans right now. Kwon Hyeok-kyu has not even debuted yet and Marco Tilio has made a couple of substitute appearances.

The biggest disappointment out of them all has been Nat Phillips though. He was the most high-profile of the summer, brought in on loan from Liverpool.

Phillips had even played a decent bit of football for Liverpool a few seasons back when they were dealing with injury problems. His performances for Celtic have been pretty disappointing though.

Phillips is not even a starter for Celtic, instead acting as a cover option. When he has gotten the chance, he has not grabbed it either, looking rusty and not the right fit for this style of football.

The centre-back's time at Celtic seems to be coming to an end. According to The Athletic (via Football Scotland), Phillips won't be offered an extension. He will instead rejoin Jurgen Klopp's side next month. The plan seems to be for him to join another club on loan for the second half of the campaign.

Once again, one has to question the recruitment team. A lot of players have been signed in recent years who do not seem to fit the brand of football Celtic play. Remember the loan signing of Shane Duffy in 2020?

That will never work out, no matter how talented someone is. Moving forward, the first thing they need to make sure is that they bring in players who fit the manager's system.

Also, the club need to sign some established names in January in order to bring the season back on track rather than banking on youngsters, who might or might not deliver.