PREPARATIONS that have been going on behind the scenes in the last few months have put Celtic in a position where they will be able to hit the ground running after what will be a very short summer.

The early capture of Dedryck Boyata ensures that the immediate void left by the departure of Jason Denayer back to Manchester City has been filled.

And there will be more new faces to come, I am sure.

While another defender and a striker would take priority at the club, there is also one position that I feel has been overlooked, that of a special, creative midfield talent.

I am not talking not of what I would call a 'loose 10' position - the Lubo Moravcik role if you like or the position that Stefan Johansen has played for Celtic this season - but more someone like a Bertie Auld-type figure. If that shows my age then I'll go forward a little bit to a Paul McStay or a John Collins.

Essentially, someone who can unlock a defence with one clever pass, can see a move before anyone else, someone who can be the difference between winning a game at the highest level or not.

The problem, of course, is that players like that come at a premium.

Scott Brown is a hugely influential midfielder for Celtic and he is a powerful player, but the type of midfielder I am thinking of is someone who can offer something that little bit different.

If you want to make it in a tournament like the Uefa Champions League someone like that can be hugely significant.

But given the disparity of financial revenue across the game - Celtic can only look on frustratingly at financial figures which show that relegated QPR banked £65m from the Premiership TV deal - there is no other option than for Celtic to stick to their blueprint of doing what they can to unearth talent.

And if that means going to a club like Manchester City and taking a chance on a 24-year-old who hasn't managed to realise his potential at the club then so be it.

Every signing you make as a manager is a risk.

And a guy like Boyata is worth taking a chance on.

I thought it was interesting that he had talked at length to John Guidetti about the club and also that he has clearly seen just what Celtic have done for Jason Denayer's career.

Granted, Denayer's situation was different in that, at 19, he wanted to go out and play games, whereas Boyata is five years down the line from that stage.

The lad went to City at a young age and clearly found the path to the first team blocked by the considerable pool of talent in front of him.

He has not had an opportunity to realise the potential he obviously had but he has the chance now to solidify that and showcase it with Celtic.

It is a win-win for both the player and the club.

Boyata has obviously been frustrated at the lack of games he has had with City and for someone arriving at a new club midway through a season there can be a danger that confidence can be an issue in a situation like that.

But the fact the lad is coming at the start of pre-season, there will be a number of new faces and everyone will be starting from scratch becomes much less of an issue, I think.

He will see it as a fresh chapter and although he is 24, he is still young enough to still make a significant impression elsewhere if he can do a job at Celtic.

In any case, it is an encouraging sign that players are being drafted in so early. In many ways Ronny Deila will feel that he is well on in terms of his European preparations because he was also able to get Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven into the club in January.

Both midfielders were able to gel relatively seamlessly into the club and it means that they are fully acclimatised with the demands of the team now. They have also had a little taste of European football with the part they played against Inter Milan in the Europa League which will have stood them in good stead.

Competing at this financial end of the transfer market is not an easy task.

The carrot of Champions League football can be a significant one for players but the task still remains that the club has to actually get there.

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