ANGE POSTECOGLOU has refused to be drawn on reports linking Celtic with a January move for Yokohama F. Marinos striker Daizen Maeda, but admits that he will look to exploit his advantage in the Japanese market.

The Celtic manager has previously confirmed that the J-League is a market of interest in the winter transfer window, though he says that he will also be casting his net elsewhere too.

And while he wouldn’t confirm or deny that Maeda was a target, he says that he will be looking to bring in ‘a couple of players at least’.

“We’re going early on being linked with players,” Postecoglou said. “There’s two months before now and January.

“I said a couple of weeks ago that we are now working towards January and we’ll definitely need to bolster the squad then. I’ve got now doubt about that. It will be nothing major but we’ll need to bring in a couple of players at least.

“We’re not going to be in any rush about that mainly for two reasons. One is that, we’ve just brought in 12 players and there are four or five others who are literally just beginning their Celtic careers having been at this club.

“I want to see how all these players settle in and see what gaps we really have because the assessment we make now might be different in two months’ time. So we’re not going to be rushing into any business too early.

“Secondly, I’m not going to limit ourselves. Obviously I know the Japanese league really well and I know Japanese players. So I guess that’s where I have an advantage over others, but we’re not going to limit ourselves to one part of the world.

“I’m not going to lock ourselves into one or two targets this early on.”

Postecoglou also said that Celtic will be taking their time over a decision on activating a clause that would allow them to purchase winger Jota from Benfica, and he won’t be asking the board to ensure there is money kept aside to meet the £6.5m asking price.

“I don’t know if it works that way – if that’s how they (board) do things – if I’d need to tell them to put some money aside,” he said.

“We’ll always make decisions that are in the best interests of the football club and also the player.

“Jota is just starting his career but he’s already fallen in love with the club. He loves the environment here and the supporters. Who wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t want to play for a football club where you get 60,000 cheering you on? The crowd is something special.

“Let’s just let him enjoy it. Those kind of decisions will come in due course.

“From our perspective, I know everyone here is the same, we’ll do what’s best for the football club moving forward and that will be in consultation with the player’s wishes.”