Celtic can’t dither with transfer work to be done says Chris Sutton

It was a fairytale end to the season for James Forrest for Celtic – and there could be another chapter penned this summer for Scotland.

No one could have scripted the final few months of the campaign for the attacker. He was out in the cold at the turn of the year with Brendan Rodgers signing Nicolas Kuhn in January and giving Yang his chance while Daizen Maeda was a nailed-on starter most weeks. But he kept plugging away behind the scenes and when his opportunity arose, he didn’t half take it. When the dust has settled and people reflect on season 2023/24, Forrest’s impact will not go unnoticed.

There were some big performers in those last few months, with Callum McGregor battling back to fitness, Reo Hatate returning to the side and Adam Idah making a huge impact in his loan spell. Forrest was another who produced huge season-defining moments, like his goal seconds after coming off the bench in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, his stunning volley at Dundee and his disciplined displays against Rangers.

Even he would have been surprised to be so heavily involved in that spectacular finale and to top it off he was rewarded with a Scotland call for Germany. Which is why I’m slightly surprised Forrest hasn’t seen any action for Steve Clarke’s side at the Euros so far. In the first game I felt they were crying out for someone to help get them up the pitch. Forrest is a ball carrier and that was something Scotland were severely lacking.

It was similar in the Switzerland game. I know Scotland got the result they needed but they could have done with Forrest coming on at half-time. The Swiss were causing a lot of problems down Scotland’s right side and they could have done with someone of Forrest’s experience, workrate and ability to keep the ball.

I know he’s not played wing-back too often over the years – but he has done it. He knows when and how to press, he can defend and he also gives the side an attacking option. Will he start against Hungary? That’s up to Clarke but there’s no doubt Forrest wouldn’t let him down and he might just be the man to pop up with another magical moment.

That’s not a slight on Anthony Ralston. He’s taken some stick after his part in the Swiss goal the other night but he was brutally unlucky. It just happened to fall right in the path of Xherdan Shaqiri but the finish was out of this world. It was an error but the punishment was brutal.

I’ve said before, I love Ralston’s attitude and spirit. He only started eight games for Celtic last term but he refuses to hide. His team-mates didn’t make it easy for him the other night either.

The pass from Grant Hanley put him under severe pressure and Jack Hendry has constantly put him on the back foot in this competition so far by playing balls either behind him or with not enough pace.

It’s been a thankless task for him but if he’s asked to go again, he’ll give everything as usual. Scotland have a chance against Hungary and that’s all they could really ask for. If you’d asked most fans, this is a scenario they’d have accepted before a ball was kicked. At least Steve Clarke will know most of his starting line-up already. The same can’t be said about Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.

It’s all quiet at Parkhead on the transfer front but they can’t allow the summer to drift as there’s work to be done. Rodgers will know what he needs but he can add another striker to his shopping list as it looks like Oh Hyeon-gyu is on his way out. I actually think it’s a bit of a shame if he goes as there is a player there. Oh is raw and there is development needed.

But he has a lot of tools and I like him as an alternative to Kyogo. He was overtaken by Idah in the second half of the season but he’s similar in some ways to the Norwich man in that he’s physical and can be a focal point.

Clearly Rodgers isn’t so sure – and that’s fair enough. He sees the player every day in training and it’s entirely up to him. But letting Oh go means Celtic are going to be in the market for TWO new strikers. Kyogo is going to be the main man. And talk about him needing shoulder surgery at some point seems to have gone quiet. He managed to get through the season without much injury fuss so it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a pressing matter in the new campaign. But getting him help up-front is. Oh’s departure will ramp up the importance of landing Idah.

That’s not a formality but even if they do get him back, Celtic will need another forward as well. They’ll need three – maybe even four – strikers to fight on four fronts next term. Every side is on the lookout for strikers and sometimes you need to be patient. But Celtic also can’t afford to dither. If they can’t get first targets, move on to the next ones. They fly out to the US in the middle of July and Rodgers will be desperate to have some new faces on the plane.