The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Celtic are yet to make their first signing to bolster the playing squad.
Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead for a second stint in the dugout in Glasgow last summer and made a number of new additions in an attempt to improve his team.
Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nat Phillips, Paulo Bernardo, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, and Luis Palma all came through the door, to varying degrees of success throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
The Northern Irish head coach may now look to make further changes to his squad before the window slams shut at the end of August, to improve on the club's haul of two domestic trophies this term.
Rodgers lifted the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup but may have his eyes on a domestic treble and more success in Europe next season, having been knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League.
A new goalkeeper is on the agenda for the Hoops boss after Joe Hart left the club and retired from professional football when his contract at Parkhead expired at the end of last month, and the Bhoys have reportedly made an offer for an experienced shot-stopper…
Celtic submit bid for 2024 Euros star
According to Turkish outlet AS Marca, Celtic are interested in a swoop to snap up Fenerbache giant Dominik Livakovic ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report claims that the Hoops have already come in with an offer of €9m (£7.6m) to snap up the Croatia international to replace Hart between the sticks at Paradise.
As shown by them having already made a bid to acquire his services, the Premiership champions are clearly pursuing a deal to bring the experienced titan to Glasgow this summer.
However, the outlet does not reveal whether or not their proposal of €9m is enough to convince the Turkish giants to part ways with the 2024 Euros star.
AS Marca also adds that Premier League side Ipswich Town, who have just been promoted to the top-flight in England, are following him 'closely', which suggests that there could be strong competition for his signature.
What makes this particular transfer rumour interesting is that Celtic were linked with an interest in Livakovic last summer when he was at Dinamo Zagreb, but the Croatian ace ended up sealing a move to Fenerbahce instead.
Rodgers could now finally get his man at the second time of asking and a swoop for the 29-year-old talent could help him to forget all about Hart.
Joe Hart's time with Celtic in numbers
Ange Postecoglou brought the former England international to Parkhead on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, after he failed to establish himself as the number one with the Premier League outfit.
The veteran goalkeeper immediately hit the ground running in the Premiership for the Hoops with a return of 19 clean sheets in 35 appearances to help his team win the division in his first season with the club.
He followed that up with 16 clean sheets in 37 outings in the division during the 2022/23 campaign as the Bhoys won the league for the second year running.
Despite being in his final season as a professional, the former Manchester City star's performances on the pitch actually improved from his second to his third year with the Scottish giants.
Appearances
37
37
Save success rate
65%
68%
Duel success rate
73%
77%
Clean sheets
16
14
Goals conceded
30
29
As you can see in the table above, Hart saved a higher percentage of the shots against his goal and conceded fewer than the previous season, yet ultimately kept two fewer clean sheets.
Where the 37-year-old ace did let himself down slightly, however, was in Europe throughout his Hoops career as he conceded 6.5 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG of the shots against him across 19 appearances on the continent in his three years at the club.
Rodgers could now forget about Hart by landing a deal to sign Livakovic, who could provide more quality between the sticks in European competitions.
Why Celtic should sign Dominik Livakovic
Firstly, he is an experienced goalkeeper at the age of 29 who could come in and hit the ground running at Parkhead as he has been there and done it for Dinamo Zagreb, Fenerbahce, and Croatia in major tournaments over the years.
Livakovic, who was in goal as his country lost 3-1 to Spain in the 2024 Euros on Saturday, could also have the ability to be an upgrade on Hart based on their respective seasons at league level during the 2023/24 campaign.
The Croatian titan moved to the Turkish Super Lig from Zagreb last summer and enjoyed a fine debut season with Fenerbahce, as he showcased his shot-stopping ability.
Appearances
37
34
Save success rate
68%
70%
Goals conceded
29
28
Duel success rate
73%
82%
Clean sheets
14
14
As you can see in the table above, they had very similar statistics but Livakovic came out on top with his shot-stopping and his dominance in duels to command his penalty area.
Along with his impressive form this season for Fenerbahce in the Super Lig, the Croatia international has proven himself to be a reliable performer in Europe over the years.
Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the Hoops target has conceded 8.7 fewer goals than expected based on the post-shot xG of the efforts on his goal, across 48 appearances in the Europa League, Europa Conference League, and the Champions League combined.
This suggests that he has the quality to make huge saves from high-quality shots on a consistent basis in Europe, whereas Hart – as shown by the aforementioned statistic – consistently let his side down by conceding more goals than expected.
Kelleher signs, £8m star bought: What Rodgers' dream Celtic XI could be
A look at what the Hoops team could be next season if they have a successful summer transfer window.
ByDan EmeryJun 15, 2024
Therefore, Livakovic could help Rodgers forget all about the retired Englishman as his statistics domestically and on the European stage suggest that the potential is there for him to offer far more than the 37-year-old ace.