It's been a busy transfer window at Celtic so far but the best might be yet to come as Ange Postecoglou gears up for a crack at the Champions League.
Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers' returns have been sealed while Benji Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei add depth to a squad that is starting to look formidable. But skipped Callum McGregor says he wants to see "one or two more" new faces, and it seems likely he'll get his wish in the weeks ahead.
A defensive minded midfielder is now the top priority after deals for Jota and Bernabei were sewn up. And Lommel midfielder Vinicius Souza seems to be the man Ange Postecoglou wants to fill that void.
Lommel are holding out for a fee close to £4m but it seems their asking price will be the least of Celtic's worries. Competition from Schalke and Real Betis mean he has plenty of options to consider and it will likely take some convincing for him to head to Celtic Park.
It was previously reported that the Brazilian had some "reservations" about coming to Scotland, although that was caveated with claims the City Football Group would prefer him to join Celtic over the other clubs in the running. The CFG, who own Lommel, know all about Postecoglou's management after his time with Yokohama and may feel his style would benefit Vinicius.
Meanwhile it had seemed Christopher Jullien's time at Celtic Park was all but over when he flew out to Germany to discuss a move to Schalke. His medical, though, flagged up some issues, which led to a dramatic collapse in negotiations.
Subsequent reports claimed that move wasn't dead yet with Jullien remaining in talks with the Bundesliga side. However he's currently off with Postecoglou's team to Europe for pre-season and will be trying to win the Australian back over.
Record Sport previously reported Jullien's preference was to remain at Celtic and talks with Schalke may not have changed that. The 29-year-old feels he can battle with Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt for starts and if another exit route doesn't emerge, he may get the chance to do just that.
One potential Jullien replacement which has been mooted is Schalke youngster Malick Thiaw . The Bundesliga side admitted they are open to bids for the 20-year-old, and Celtic are reported to be one of the teams keen.
He's another likely to have plenty of options, however. Previously linked with Liverpool, the towering defender comes very highly-rated, and he has a lot of senior football to his name for one so young.
Reports in Italy claim Bologna are also an option for Thiaw, as they look to splash their imminent Aaron Hickey windfall on some defensive reinforcements. But they also see AC Milan defender Matteo Caldara as an option and face a 50/50 decision between the two.
