Celtic are thought to be in pole position to complete the signing of an international attacker, with the individual in question a new target for the Scottish Premiership giants.

Sutton makes demand to Celtic manager Rodgers

The Hoops are back in action this weekend, during what has been a tough period for the club, with doubts surrounding the future of manager Brendan Rodgers.

Writing for The Daily Record, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has demanded that Rodgers make a decision about his next step either way, with it acting as a distraction currently.

“I think Rodgers will simply now have to come out and tell everyone if he’s going to be staying or going. If he’s going at the end of the season, so be it. We saw it at Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp and it’s happened elsewhere. There needs to be some clarity – for everyone.

“It could be that he’s not made his mind up yet, or even that the club wants to go down a different route, which is another matter altogether. You look at the muck being thrown around with claims about Rodgers trying to engineer an exit, which wasn’t mentioned in the statement.

“Are they going to stumble on with a manager who doesn’t want to be there and a club that feels the same? How is that going to work?”

Rodgers made it clear that he wasn’t happy with Celtic’s business in the summer transfer window, but a new update suggests they are in a strong position to possibly make a new signing in 2026.

Celtic in pole position to sign international forward

According to reports from abroad [via The Celtic Way], Celtic are leading the race to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek, who could join on a free transfer in the January window, with the winger a new target for them.

The 22-year-old Kazakhstan international is out of contract at the end of December 2025 and the Hoops are thought to be at the front of the queue to snap him up, having sent scouts to watch him in action.

Not a huge amount will be known about Kenzhebek, considering he is currently plying his trade at homeland club Yelimay Semey, but the fact that he is an international winger immediately outlines his pedigree.

In fact, he has registered six goal contributions in only seven appearances for his current club, with four goals and two assists coming his way, and he can play on either side.

Celtic are in need of some attacking inspiration, given the lack of reinforcements that came their way this summer, and Kenzhebek could ultimately be a shrewd and cheap option midway through the season.

For Rodgers, that would be a welcome shot in the arm, during a period in which all is not well at Parkhead, but that is assuming the Northern Irishman is still in charge of Hoops by the time the January window arrives.