Martin O’Neill’s return to Celtic has coincided with the most important moment of the season off the pitch, the January transfer window.
After a damaging summer that left its mark on performances and morale, Celtic are now intent on reshaping the squad to give O’Neill the tools needed for a sustained title push. Early optimism around potential moves for Kyogo Furuhashi and Jocelin Ta Bi has faded, with both deals now off the table, leaving the club still searching for their first attacking addition of the window.
Speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Falkirk, O’Neill offered an update on where things stand.
So far, Julian Araujo remains the only winter arrival, having joined during Wilfried Nancy’s brief spell in charge. Since Celtic have returned to a back four following Nancy’s departure, recruitment priorities appear to have shifted accordingly.
O’Neill admitted that he has personally ruled out several suggested targets and accepted responsibility for the slow progress. He joked that the delays were down to him, while acknowledging how challenging the January market can be.
He explained that unless a player is clearly capable of improving the side and worth the investment, deals are hard to push through at this stage of the season. O’Neill added that a new manager often wants this window to shape the squad to suit their system, and that process is ongoing behind the scenes.
According to the Celtic boss, work is being done constantly, with no internal obstacles holding things up. The difficulty lies in identifying players who can make an immediate impact and persuading both clubs and players to commit, particularly when competition from elsewhere emerges.
O’Neill conceded that time is moving quickly, with January already halfway gone, but insisted there has been progress. While careful not to overpromise, he suggested the club believes it is getting closer to the right additions, even if experience has taught him how easily things can change.