Celtic decided to bring Brendan Rodgers back for a second spell at Parkhead last summer after former boss Ange Postecoglou had moved to the Premier League.
The Hoops chiefs backed him during the summer transfer window ahead of the 2023/24 campaign with nine new signings to bolster his playing squad.
Paulo Bernardo, Nat Phillips, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Hyun-jun Yang were all snapped up, either on loan or permanently.
Rodgers was then able to add two new players to his group during the recent January transfer window as Nicolas Kuhn was signed from Rapid Wien on a permanent deal and Adam Idah arrived on loan from Norwich City on deadline day.
It was reported by Football Insider that the Hoops were also keen to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Joe Hart, although they did also claim that it could wait until the summer, and were unable to do so before the window slammed shut.
Celtic's goalkeeping situation
The Hoops will likely need to dip into the market to land a new number one ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as the former England international has officially confirmed that he will be leaving the club this year.
His contract expires this summer and the veteran shot-stopper has revealed that he is set to call time on his playing days after – what Rodgers described as – a "phenomenal" career.
This means that the number one jersey will be available for someone to take next season, and it remains to be seen who will be handed that honour.
The Scottish Sun reported in September 2023 that Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is a target for Rodgers, as the Ireland international is currently second choice to Alisson at Anfield.
However, the Hoops appear to have already missed out on the chance to sign a dream heir to Hart's position in the team with 2023 target Andriy Lunin.
The Daily Record claimed in October 2023 that the Scottish giants had their eyes on the Ukraine international as a possible replacement for the English veteran.
They also stated that the Bhoys had been interested in a swoop to sign the young colossus during the summer transfer window, in 2023, but they were not able to convince Real Madrid to do business with them.
The Daily Record added that Lunin had become frustrated since the summer as the Spanish giants signed Kepa Arrrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea, which left the Hoops target on the bench.
His frustration with the La Liga side reportedly put Celtic on 'alert' ahead of the January transfer window, but the situation appears to have changed.
Lunin has earned his place as the first-choice goalkeeper for Real and it was recently reported that they are planning to offer him a contract extension, whilst the player himself has confirmed that he would like to stay at the club.
This suggests that the Hoops have already missed out on their chance to secure his services, and that last summer may have been the perfect time to strike but they could not do enough to convince the Spanish side at the time.
They may look back on that failure with regret as the talented gem is now starring for a Champions League giant and could have been a sublime replacement for Hart.
Joe Hart's form for Celtic this season
The current Celtic number one has endured mixed success throughout the season with some solid performances domestically but struggles in Europe.
In the Scottish Premiership, Hart has kept ten clean sheets in 25 appearances and saved 70% of the shots on target against his goal, which is an improvement on his save success rate of 65% in the division last season.
However, he only saved 61% of shots against him in six Champions League group stage matches as the Hoops finished bottom of their group.
Hart conceded a whopping 15 goals from 13.3 post-shot Expected Goals, which means that the experienced titan conceded 1.7 more than expected based on the quality of efforts faced.
The 36-year-old giant also ranks within the bottom 22% of Champions League goalkeepers this season for percentage of crosses stopped at 1.2%, and the bottom 10% for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (0.17).
Why Lunin could have been the dream Hart replacement
Meanwhile, Lunin has been a star for Real Madrid in Europe's premier cup competition this season, and caught the eye with his displays in LaLiga.
The 25-year-old colossus has started 13 top-flight matches for Carlo Ancelotti this season and boasts an extraordinary save success rate of 81%.
Lunin has only conceded seven goals in those 13 games from a post-shot xG of 12.2, which means that he has prevented 5.2 more goals than expected.
That incredible form has also extended to his performances in the Champions League, which is a tournament Real have won 14 times in their history – seven more than any other club. The Ukraine international has only featured in three games in the competition this term but has prevented a staggering 3.1 more goals than expected in those three outings.
Sofascore rating
9.6
Goals conceded
Zero
Saves made
Nine
Goals prevented
2.44
Run out success rate
100% (1/1)
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 2023 Celtic target recently caught the eye with a phenomenal display against RB Leipzig in Real's last 16 first leg clash against the Bundesliga outfit.
Alongside his outstanding shot-stopping quality, which is illustrated by his aforementioned statistics in LaLiga and the Champions League, Lunin is a commanding goalkeeper.
Over the last 365 days, the 25-year-old star ranks within the top 10% of goalkeepers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for percentage of crosses stopped at 10%.
This shows that he excels at coming out to collect crosses and alleviate pressure on his defence by being dominant and controlling his penalty box.
Couple that with his incredible shot-stopping and this suggests that Celtic missed out on a deal to sign an elite goalkeeper who could have been a dream replacement for Hart.
In fact, Lunin's shot-stopping and ability to deal with crosses could have made him a huge upgrade on the Englishman, given his superior statistics in Europe and in a higher domestic division.
Rodgers may now watch the Real star's career from afar with a tinge of regret at not being able to secure his services last summer, before he emerged as the Spanish side's number one.
