Callum McGregor has turned his future at Celtic into a question of ambition, not just contract length. He said he is happy to finish his career there only if the club continue to push and want to be successful. That lands in the middle of a summer where Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels are also part of the conversation, and Martin O'Neill is trying to reshape the squad without dropping the level.
McGregor's loyalty test
McGregor's case is the most revealing because it goes beyond the usual summer noise. He has won 26 honours, including 11 league titles, since breaking through in 2014. He also has 77 goals in 576 appearances and 84 assists in that spell, which is a serious return for a midfielder who has been central to Celtic for more than a decade.
He replaced Scott Brown as captain in 2021, so this is not a player speaking from the outside. The message was plain enough. McGregor's future is tied to whether Celtic keep acting like a club that wants to win and improve, and that is a stronger condition than a standard contract discussion.
The summer pressure around Maeda and Engels
The wider squad picture makes that stance more pointed. Maeda scored 33 goals in 51 appearances in 2024-25, a level of output Celtic would struggle to replace easily if interest turns into something real. Engels scored in trophy-clinching wins over Heart of Midlothian in the final-day Premiership showdown and Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final, which underlines how quickly he became part of the big moments.
Maeda has one year left on his contract, while Engels and McGregor are contracted until 2028. Wolfsburg's move for Maeda failed to materialise in 2025, and Nottingham Forest showed interest in Engels last term. None of that means exits are done deals, but it does explain why this window already feels loaded with risk for Celtic.
O'Neill's own line points in a slightly different direction. "When we have possession of the ball, it's great to keep it and absolutely right, but I'd like us to keep it for a purpose," he said. That is a fair demand for a team with Celtic's talent, especially with the Premiership title defence starting at home to Dundee on 3 August before the Champions League play-off round on 18/19 and 25/26 August.
What Celtic do next will shape more than one decision. If the club keep McGregor, Maeda and Engels, the window becomes about refinement. If they lose even one of them, O'Neill's task gets more awkward before a ball is kicked in August.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →