ANGE POSTECOGLOU insists he won't put timelines on any of his Celtic transfer business this summer.
The Parkhead boss has already added Benjamin Siegrist to his squad and finalised a permanent transfer for Cameron Carter-Vickers - but he's insisted he won't rush signings after a breathless window last summer.
Postecoglou only arrived in Glasgow in June last year and had little time to waste with no fewer than 12 players signed to add to his squad as the Scottish Premiership season got underway. Another five signings followed in January.
This time round, Postecoglou is fully focussed on adding the right players to the group with less stress over the ins and outs compared to 12 months ago.
That's not to say Celtic haven't been busy in their recruitment so far. Siegrist and Carter-Vickers won't be the only players heading through the Parkhead doors this summer - and fans are desperately hoping more will follow sooner rather than later.
But it could be a summer needing patience as Postecoglou finalises deals for key targets.
Among those are Alexandro Bernabei and Jota who supporters are desperate to see hold the Celtic scarf aloft after signing permanent deals.The former, a Lanus full-back, is expected to sign a long-term deal to challenge Greg Taylor at left-back.
And Jota is another who has widely been tipped to make the permanent move to Glasgow with Celtic retaining a £6.4million buy clause as part of his loan spell last season.
While onlookers may be anxious for deals to be done, Postecoglou is determined to take time to consider each deal before anything is finalised.
"Last season I was really keen to get people in the building and we kind of knew we would have a few leaving the club as well," the Parkhead manager told Celtic TV.
"It was a real hectic time and in the January window we worked a little bit more methodically and kind of knew what we wanted and got it done early. It's the same this time, I am not one to rush things.
"For me, the most important thing is to get the right players in, that's the key for me, and it is not just about them as players as it is about them as people. For that to happen we can't put timelines on things.
"Obviously, I would like the earlier we get players in the better. We've got a unique scenario in that we have a clean pre-season without any competitive games which is a great advantage for us."
Just as important for Postecoglou as bringing new blood into the Celtic dressing-room is nurturing the talents already at his disposal in a much calmer pre-season environment.
One off-the-field addition Celtic did make this summer is Harry Kewell joining the backroom staff as part of a coaching reshuffle under Postecoglou - and the manager is excited at the progress which could be made on the training pitch alongside the Australia icon.
He said: "I think for me apart from strengthening the squad is being able to work with the group of players we had last year in pre-season which is going to be invaluable because most of them missed pre-season or we threw them in during the season or halfway through a season.
"Even working with the existing squad over the next three or four weeks with the coaching staff will be invaluable.
"Harry is someone whom I know through the Australia connection but we have never worked together. He is one of Australia's greatest ever footballers and a guy who has worked really hard to get a coaching career going.
"From afar the reports that I have had on him is that he will bring some really good qualities in terms of his on-field coaching and his ability to mentor players and for me it was really important that when the players came back this season they understood that nothing stands still that there is a constant evolution and we want to better every year and seeing a couple of new faces in the staff is going to help that.
"He will bring energy as I know he's super excited about being involved at this level and this football club. He's got Champions League experience as a player - he has won it.
"He is an attacking player as well and that will kind of help the group we have got and the balance we have in the coaching group."
