Celtic transfer guarantee emerges from inside dressing room as O'Riley truth appears and Dubravka told where to go

Stephen Welsh is adamant champions Celtic never stand still.

The Parkhead defender insists the players will be raring to go again at the big kick-off. With less than a month to go before the Premiership campaign kicks-off against Kilmarnock, the build-up is underway for Brendan Rodgers’ title holders. The manager is patiently working towards adding new recruits to strengthen his Double-winning squad. Welsh says Celtic are always ready for the latest challenges and explained: “We are always striving to improve. We are never standing still. I think the more competition for places in the team, the better because it pushes everyone on.

“It doesn’t matter whereabouts on the pitch it is, if we have a lot of quality in the position, it makes us a better team. We are just looking to get the fitness in now and, by the time the season comes, we will be raring to go. We know we have a great squad, have got winners in the team and we’re very much looking forward to the season. I think (naming transfer targets) is probably a bit higher up than me. I don’t think I can completely comment on that. But as I said there, we are never a club that stands still. We always look to improve on and off the pitch, so, yeah, we will see.”

Where could those improvements come? Between the sticks, for one. Rodgers cycled through three goalkeepers in Celtic's friendly draw with Ayr United, with Scott Bain, Tobi Oluwayemi and Josh Clarke getting half an hour each. There was no Benjamin Siegrist in sights, but there's minimal chance of Rodgers starting the competitive season with any of those four wearing the No.1 jersey.

One who Record Sport understands there is firm interest in is Newcastle shotstopper Martin Dubravka. His situation is up in the air