Celtic have backed Brendan Rodgers in the summer transfer window since the head coach returned to Paradise to replace Ange Postecoglou.
Who have Celtic signed this summer?
The Hoops have brought in five new signings to bolster their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign, which kicks off against Ross County on Saturday.
Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Marco Tilio have all been snapped up on permanent deals to offer the Northern Irish boss more options to work with.
However, the former Leicester City boss has also lost one of the key players behind the treble success of last season as Jota completed a £25m transfer to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad Club last month.
Who could replace Jota at Celtic?
Rodgers could unearth a surprise replacement for the former Benfica starlet by helping David Turnbull to rediscover his best form for the Hoops this term.
Instead of dipping into the transfer market to splash out millions on another attacker to score and assist goals on a regular basis, the Northern Irish tactician could save Dermot Desmond and the rest of the board millions by finding a solution within the pre-existing squad.
Turnbull is coming off the back of a disappointing season under Ange Postecoglou as the ex-Motherwell man only started six Premiership matches and played the majority of his minutes as a central midfielder.
He is an attacking midfielder by trade and excelled during the 2020/21 campaign under Neil Lennon when the manager deployed him as a number ten more often than not, which is a role that is available in Rodgers' preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
The 24-year-old whiz averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.47 across 30 league starts that season, which would have placed him top of the Bhoys roster last term, as he scored nine goals and created 12 'big chances' for his teammates.
Turnbull, who was recently hailed as a "terrific" player by ex-Hoops ace Peter Grant, also created an eye-catching 2.9 key passes per match for his teammates, which is 0.8 more per outing than any Celtic player managed in the season just gone.
Throughout the 2022/23 campaign, Jota averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.45 over 33 league outings and chipped in with 11 goals and 13 'big chances' created. He also produced 1.9 key passes per game for the side, which was the second-most within the squad.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Turnbull to score goals and create opportunities for others on a regular basis to make himself a constant threat at the top end of the pitch, which is exactly what the Al Ittihad ace was for Postecoglou's side over the last 12 months.
Whilst the £16k-per-week magician plays in a different position to Jota, through the middle of the pitch instead of out wide, his ability to make things happen in the final third with goals and assists could replace the impact that the Portuguese talent had for the Hoops.
Two goals in four pre-season friendlies for Turnbull suggests that he is on the right path to getting back to his best but it is now down to Rodgers to deploy him as a no.10, instead of in central midfield, in order to revive his Celtic career.