James McFadden has weighed in on the ongoing debate around Celtic and Rangers’ transfer strategies, insisting the Hoops’ recruitment record deserves far more credit despite recent criticism.
With the January window set to play a major role in deciding who lifts the Premiership trophy in May, attention has turned to how the title contenders strengthen their squads. Hearts have set the pace for much of the campaign, while both Celtic and Rangers have endured difficult spells that have raised questions about their consistency.
Despite that, the championship race remains wide open. On the Open Goal podcast, it was suggested that Rangers and Hearts could be trusted more than Celtic when it comes to recruitment. McFadden, however, was quick to challenge that viewpoint.
The conversation centred on whether Celtic can realistically win the league without adding quality this month. While there was agreement that the current squad may fall short, McFadden felt it was unfair to dismiss the club’s longer-term track record in the market.
He pointed out that, over several seasons, Celtic have consistently signed players, improved them, and later moved them on for significant fees. While he accepted that last summer’s business was disappointing, he stressed that it should not erase years of smart planning and successful deals.
McFadden acknowledged that the decision to sell Kyogo Furuhashi last January without lining up a replacement was a major misstep, and that the most recent transfer window failed to address key weaknesses. Even so, he argued that judging Celtic’s recruitment purely on the past few months ignores a body of work that has delivered both trophies and profit.
There is no denying Celtic have struggled this season, leaving Martin O’Neill with a rebuilding job midway through the campaign. Yet since 2020, supporters have seen a steady flow of high-quality arrivals who played a central role in domestic success, including a historic Treble under Ange Postecoglou.
Players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter-Vickers have all left a major mark at Parkhead, reinforcing McFadden’s belief that, overall, Celtic’s recruitment has been among the best in Scotland, even if recent windows have fallen well short of that standard.