Chris Sutton has suggested that Celtic’s January transfer window activity could end up working against them in the title race rather than strengthening their hand.
The former Celtic striker described the winter window as something of an arms race between the clubs competing at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and his verdict on how Celtic fared is not a flattering one. During the window, the club brought in five loan signings in Julian Araujo, Tomas Cvancara, Junior Adamu, Benjamin Arthur and Joel Mvuka, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also arriving on a free transfer shortly after the deadline closed.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Sutton was candid about the challenges now facing Martin O’Neill. He argued that Celtic do not possess the same depth of quality they had in previous seasons and that they will need to raise their level significantly if they want to win the title. He also pointed to the absence of Auston Trusty through suspension for the trip to Ibrox and the ongoing questions surrounding the form of Kasper Schmeichel as factors that make O’Neill’s task considerably more complicated.
On the Europa League tie against Stuttgart, Sutton made clear he would have prioritised the domestic schedule. He felt the tie was beyond saving after the 4-1 first leg defeat and would have preferred O’Neill to field a second string against the German side in order to rest key players ahead of the weekend. He described Sunday’s match as a significant fixture but stopped short of calling it a defining moment in the title race, given the unpredictable nature of the Scottish top flight this season.
His overall assessment of Celtic’s recruitment was pointed. He felt the club had come out on the wrong end of the January arms race and that their signings had not been up to the standard required, by any measure.
Celtic face Stuttgart this evening before turning their attention to Ibrox, with a rearranged trip to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen to follow in midweek.