Dream XI Celtic could build: Idah axed for "sensational" CF, Tierney starts

da bet sport： Celtic missed out on the domestic treble earlier this month when they were beaten by Aberdeen on penalties in the final of the SFA Cup at Hampden Park.

da stake casino： The Hoops had already won the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, but they were unable to claim the third trophy in the collection against the Dons.

Brendan Rodgers may want to go all the way next season, after failing to win the treble in both of his first two years back at the club, and could do that by improving his squad in the summer transfer window.

With that in mind, here is the dream starting line-up that Rodgers could build to attack the 2025/26 campaign head-on when they return to action later this year…

1 Kasper Schmeichel

Starting off between the sticks, Kasper Schmeichel should still be the number one for Celtic next season, at least to begin with, after an impressive debut campaign, despite his own goal in the SFA Cup final.

The former Leicester City stopper racked up an impressive 24 clean sheets in 49 appearances after joining from Anderlecht on a free transfer last year.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, Celtic should be aiming to keep hold of Alistair Johnston amid reported interest from English sides Ipswich Town and Fulham this summer, after he scored four goals and provided ten assists in the Premiership this season.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

At the heart of the defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers should be a mainstay in the team again next season, after he was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year yet again. The colossal central defender has the right-sided centre-back position locked down, and it should stay that way.

4 Liam Scales

The left-sided centre-back position is up for debate, unlike the right side, with Auston Trusty, Maik Nawrocki, and Liam Scales all in contention to play that role.

Scales, however, ended the season as the first-choice for Rodgers, despite Trusty and Nawrocki being fit and available, which suggests that he will head into pre-season as the obvious partner to Carter-Vickers.

5 Kieran Tierney

Left-back is another position that should be fairly obvious. Kieran Tierney is joining on a free transfer from Arsenal and should be the go-to option in that area of the park when fit and available.

The Scotland international produced 37 assists in 170 matches for Celtic during his first spell at the club, which suggests that he could provide a huge creative outlet down the left flank for the Scottish giants next season.

It remains to be seen whether or not Greg Taylor, who is out of contract this summer, will be at Parkhead next term, so Tierney is currently the only senior left-back who is guaranteed to be in the squad.

6 Callum McGregor

At the base of the midfield three, captain Callum McGregor is another obvious pick for Rodgers. The skipper started 34 of his 35 appearances in the Premiership this season, which does not suggest that he is close to being on his way out of the XI.

7 Arne Engels

Celtic broke the bank to sign Arne Engels from Augsburg last summer in a club-record £11m move, and he repaid them with a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances for the club in his debut season.

8 Lennon Miller

Another new addition to the squad, alongside Tierney, could be Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller, who could arrive to complete the midfield trio with McGregor and Engels.

Serie A side Udinese have been linked with a summer move for Reo Hatate, and Celtic could sign the Scottish starlet, who is a reported transfer target, to replace the Japanese ace.

24/25 Premiership

Reo Hatate

Lennon Miller

Appearances

37

32

Goals

10

2

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes per game

1.2

1.6

Assists

2

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.1

3.1

Ball recoveries per game

3.2

6.3

Duel success rate

44%

53%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Miller would be an exciting replacement for Hatate because he offers a similar threat as a creator whilst being better out of possession, albeit he does not provide as much of a goalscoring presence.

At 18, the Scotland U21 international is also nine years younger than the Celtic star and could be the long-term option for Rodgers in that position, which is why it could make sense to cash in on the Japanese star to sign the Motherwell maestro.

9 Nicolas Kuhn

Nicolas Kuhn ended the 2024/25 campaign with an eye-catching haul of 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions from a right wing position for the Hoops.

The left-footed star provided a constant threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, which is why he should remain the starting option on that flank.

10 Mathias Kvistgaarden

The third signing that could be added to this dream starting XI, alongside Tierney and Miller, is Brondby centre-forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.

Celtic are reportedly weighing up a club-record swoop for the Danish marksman, who is valued at in excess of £12m, and it could be a fantastic piece of business for the club to upgrade on Adam Idah.

24/25 season

Mathias Kvistgaarden (Superliga)

Adam Idah (Premiership)

Appearances

29

35

FotMob rating

7.29

6.86

xG

13.99

13.57

Goals

17

13

Chances created

19

19

Assists

5

0

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, their respective performances at league level this season suggest that Kvistgaarden would offer far more than the Irishman as a superior finisher.

Therefore, Celtic should attempt to conclude a deal for the 23-year-old centre-forward, dubbed “sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, in the weeks to come as he could add an even greater goal threat to Rodgers’ side than Idah currently does.