Fourteen days into the January transfer window, Celtic are still without a new striker.
It is almost a year since Kyogo Furuhashi left Parkhead for Rennes and six months since Adam Idah departed for Swansea City. With both senior forwards gone, supporters would have assumed the club’s recruitment staff had long been working on identifying a new leading attacker.
Instead, warning signs have continued to appear. The attempt to bring Kyogo back on loan was the first concern. That was followed by Martin O’Neill revealing he had already rejected several player options presented to him since returning to the club. Now, another admission from the Celtic manager has only intensified the scrutiny on those running recruitment behind the scenes.
O’Neill’s honesty raises uncomfortable questions
O’Neill has been back in the job for less than ten days, so it would be unreasonable to expect him to have every transfer lined up. Even so, his comments suggest a lack of preparation that reflects poorly on the club’s hierarchy.
Speaking to the Daily Record, O’Neill acknowledged how important reinforcements are, while admitting he was not fully prepared for this situation.
He explained that during his first spell as Celtic manager, he had time to plan and identify targets before making signings. This time, circumstances were different. He had spent Christmas at home and was not expecting to be back in charge, meaning there was no shortlist ready when he returned.
Few supporters would hold that against O’Neill. The bigger issue is why the club itself does not appear to have been ready. With a striker clearly needed for months, questions are being asked about what the recruitment department has been doing.
O’Neill carrying the workload
O’Neill went on to describe how he is heavily involved in the process, making calls and trying to move things forward as quickly as possible. He stressed that work is being shared, but admitted there are only so many conversations he can have in a single day.
The manager spoke of working relentlessly behind the scenes, juggling transfer discussions while also preparing the team for a crucial run of matches. With the title race so tight and margins so small, his focus is already stretched.
That only deepens the concern. O’Neill has enough pressure trying to keep Celtic competitive on the pitch, yet he appears to be leading much of the recruitment effort himself. It leaves supporters wondering what the scouting and recruitment structure has achieved over the past year, especially when a striker has been an obvious requirement for so long.
Instead of delivering a ready-made solution up front, the club has previously chased expensive wide players, while past managers were forced into short-term fixes. As things stand, this window is beginning to feel uncomfortably familiar.
Unless Celtic act quickly, there is a growing sense that January could once again expose serious flaws in the way the club approaches recruitment.