Jackie McNamara: This will be Celtic transfer priority in the summer
By Derek Smithson
Jackie McNamara believes that Celtic’s main focus in the summer will be keeping hold of their top players.
The Bhoys legend has identified Kieran Tierney, Moussa Dembele and Stuart Armstrong as a key trio that he feels the club will be desperate to keep.
Brendan Rodgers enjoyed a superb first season in Scotland and helped his side win a domestic treble.
A number of stars stood out in the team that went unbeaten in the league all year to clinch a sixth consecutive top flight title.
McNamara feels that keeping hold of their big-name players will be Celtic’c priority and admits there is a lot of interest from elsewhere.
“The priority will be holding on to the ones Celtic need,” McNamara told the Daily Express. “There’s a lot of talk about Tierney, Dembele and Armstrong, in his last year. But Brendan will want to keep them and add a few more.”
Dembele enjoyed a brilliant first year with the Scottish champions and his goals played a major role in their success.
The 20-year-old forward scored 32 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions, which has seen him being tipped for a big-money move.
Meanwhile, academy graduate Tierney has become a mainstay in the first team during recent seasons and the defender is a permanent fixture in the starting XI.
The 20-year-old left-back managed 12 assists across all competitions last season and there is a belief his athleticism could suit well to the style of the Premier League.
Celtic midfielder Armstrong benefited most from Rodgers’ arrival last year and has been reborn in the central area, helping him earn a nominee for the Scottish PFA Player of the Year award.
The 25-year-old scored 17 goals and supplied seven assists last year, but the fact that he has just one year remaining on his contract is a concern for supporters.
In other Celtic transfer news, Tierney has admitted he has been trying to get a Premier League attacker to join the club.
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