Celtic transfer state of play on Borges, Tierney and Jota as Fabian Rieder link causes another Twitter meltdown

It's a new month and there's a palpable sense of transfer season being ramped up.

Clubs are returning to training and Celtic are under Brendan Rodgers' watch once again will be aiming for a sizeable impact in Europe. For the Irishman to get Parkhead rocking under the Champions League lights he has set a mandate of quality over quantity. And his funds will only be boosted once Jota says goodbye for Saudi Arabia in a £25m deal in the coming days.

It's a shock to punters but former boss Ange Postecoglou made sure to warn followers of the club not to get too attached to the heroes of his Treble-winning side. But what comes next? It's clear the champions are seeking quality. The deal for Marco Tilio has been rubber-stamped and now it's on to the next targets for Rodgers and the Celtic board. Record Sport runs the rule over the names in the mix and how things stand.

8 Jota replacement options for Celtic as £25m set to burn hole in Brendan Rodgers pocket

His stats in EPL 2 for Manchester City appear something out a cheat code with 29 goals and four hat-tricks. And that is a winger with a boatload of assists to boot. But the path to prominence under Pep Guardiola in the first team is a challenge for any player. And it appears the 19-year-old Portugal youth international will likely leave the Etihad either on loan or a permanent deal with a buy back option included. Celtic fans have championed his cause with Jota heading for the exit door as a potential replacement for their star man who is on the verge of joining Al-Ittihad. But Borges' suitor list is bulging with Palermo, Norwich, Nottingham Forest and Leicester on his trail. A wanted man.

And back to the aforementioned Jota. His final days as a Celtic player are here as