Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou ready to look to Japan again in January window

Kyogo Furuhashi has been a big success at Celtic

Celtic are planning their next raid into the transfer market – and are once again casting an eye towards Japan.

The Hoops travel to Aberdeen today, desperate for victory off the back of a run that has seen them struggle both at home and abroad.

Manager Ange Postecoglou, however, remains 100% committed to his mission to deliver a team capable of winning with high-tempo, attacking football.

“We still need to add to the squad, and are looking at January at the moment,” he said.

“We know the areas we need to bolster.

“When you look at the significant exits we have had over the past year, you can see this was always going to be a two-to- three-window process.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean adding experience.

“It’s about getting more players that, I believe, can play the type of football we want to play.

“There is a mentality that is attached to that, but that’s not relevant to age or experience.

“It’s about the type of personalities we want to bring in, guys who really want to play the kind of football we want to play, who are going to be brave and really ambitious.

“That’s what we are trying to target.

“I don’t expect us to do a lot of business in January, but we will definitely be adding something to the squad.”

The big success story of the raft of summer signings was the pick-up of Kyogo Furuhashi for £4.6-million from Vissel Kobe.

The Celtic boss again plans to put his experience of managing in the J-League to good use.

“Japan is one of the markets we will be looking at,” he said.

“Obviously, I know it really well, and they will get to the end of their season, which is a good time if there’s anyone who will fit into our set-up.

“But we will be looking everywhere.

“The last window in the summer was frantic. This time we want to make sure that we are planning our moves well in advance.

“We have already identified targets, and begun discussions before we get to January.

So that we can conclude deals a lot quicker than we did in the previous window.”

Postecoglou says getting glimpses of what is possible has helped fuel his determination to double-down in his efforts.

“If you take the Leverkusen game, it was pleasing to get Jota and Kyogo on the pitch together.

“When putting the team together, you have pictures in your head of what the team will look like when you get everyone up and running.

“I think Jota is improving with every game – and really making a mark – and, of course, Kyogo has made a massive impact.

“I know he didn’t score, but his movement and ability to create problems for top-quality defenders is great for us.

“Hopefully, we can keep him on the park and developing that relationship. He and Jota can be a good combination.

“Giorgios Giakoumakis too. He is lacking fitness, but he got some game time and will provide us with another option.”

Celtic’s capitulation to Leverkusen drew plenty of criticism, with the club’s former midfielder, Paul Lambert – among others – insisting Postecoglou’s side will need to toughen up in order to meet the high expectations of the club’s support.

Postecoglou does not appear to lack toughness, but questions are beginning to be asked of him.

And while making the point that the group is currently missing important senior figures in the shape of long-term injury victims winger James Forrest and central defender, Christopher Jullien, the Greek-born Australian acknowledges the critics have a point.

“When I look at all the games in which we have struggled to get a result, it has not been the context of the whole game. It has been moments,” he said.

“I am talking about moments that have cost us at both ends of the park.

“That could be a chance that really we should be putting away, or a mistake in our own box that gives the opposition an advantage.

“That shows us the areas where we need to improve.

“It is about being really mentally strong to take responsibility at these times, and do what is required to give the advantage to us rather than the opposition.

“The balance of that is that when you look at Thursday’s team, apart from Callum McGregor and Tommy Rogic, the rest of them are in their first year of their Celtic careers.

“We have to give them some time to understand the expectation and the pressures around the club.

“Hopefully, they can grow from there.”