Back for his second spell, Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to pick up where he left off at Celtic, and enjoy instant success in Scotland.

So far, however, to say that his side have not been without their struggles would be an understatement. The Scottish Premiership champions have already been dumped out of the Scottish League Cup in a shock exit at the hands of Kilmarnock, before then dropping points in a draw against St Johnstone.

Now, as the transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Rodgers is reportedly eyeing a defensive reinforcement.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

So far this summer, Celtic have welcomed a total of seven players, with Maik Nawrocki the pick of the bunch, who was unfortunate to suffer an instant injury. And they could yet add more reinforcements before the end of the transfer window, having reportedly made a breakthrough to sign winger Luis Palma from Aris FC.

Palma should boost Rodgers' attacking options, leaving him with just the backline to reinforce in the coming days, which could lead him back to English football off the pitch.

With that said, according to The Daily Record, Celtic are eyeing a move to sign Southampton defender Lyanco before the window shuts, with the Saints reportedly keen to part ways with the central defender this summer.

Lyanco very nearly sealed his exit away from St Mary's earlier in the window, only for his move to Besiktas to reportedly collapse.

Now, it is Celtic who could land the Brazilian, with the Hoops after a loan deal for a new defender. It's certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming days, it seems.

Should Celtic sign Lyanco?

Welcoming a player of previous Premier League quality, especially after the injury to Nawrocki, wouldn't exactly be bad business from a Celtic point of view.

We've seen a similar stroke of genius used before when the Hoops signed Cameron Carter-Vickers from Tottenham Hotspur, before the centre-back went on to play a crucial part in their success under former manager Ange Postecoglou.

It now seems as though Celtic are hoping to repeat that smart move with a deal to sign Southampton's Lyanco. Statistically speaking, he could be a more than adequate option in Scotland, too.

The defender, as per FBref, is in the top 81 percentile for progressive carries compared to central defenders, whilst also being in the top 98 and 84 percentile for blocks and clearances.

At his best, Lyanco has earned deserved praise, including from former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who said, via The Daily Echo:

“I think it is important for him to understand what is necessary to be a nasty opponent, to be in the challenge and to be there.

“He has very strong belief and is a fantastic character who likes to work with us and likes to play for us. He is exactly what we need.”