Celtic's 'priority' is to sign another central midfielder, Pete O'Rourke has told Give Me Sport

The lowdown: Surprising

With just over a week of the January transfer window remaining, Celtic's outlay stands at £3.82million.

They've signed five new players, three of whom - Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O'Riley - can play in central midfield.

It is surprising, then, that Ange Postecoglou wants another central player, but it's possible that the Australian views Hatate as a more of a left-sided option in the long-term.

It should also be noted that Celtic have offloaded two midfielders this month, with Liam Shaw and Ewan Henderson sealing loan moves.

The latest: Priority

O'Rourke reckons that Postecoglou's biggest concern at present is strengthening further in the middle of the park.

"I think central midfield is the priority for Celtic right now," he said.

The verdict: Kendouci?

Who, then, could be the next central midfielder?

Well perhaps Ahmed Kendouci is the most likely candidate. In their live transfer blog on Tuesday, The Daily Record reported that the ES Setif man had submitted a transfer request.

The Algerian top-flight club didn't dismiss that request outright. Instead, they've taken some time to assess their next move.

If they agree to grant his wish, £1.17million-rated Kendouci, the most valuable player in his league according to Transfermarkt, could be the latest player to jet into Glasgow from outside Europe.

Elsewhere, there's bad news on a Celtic loanee.