Shaun Maloney says Celtic are trying to get up to four signings done before they submit their Europa League squad on Wednesday. The club have already brought in four first-team players this window, but Maloney said there is still work to do in key areas, and nothing is confirmed with anyone yet.
Celtic's late-window push
The deadline is tight. The Europa League squad has to be registered by Wednesday at 23:59, and the Scottish transfer deadline follows on Thursday at 17:00 BST. Celtic have won their last five matches, so this is about keeping the squad moving forward while also making sure the European list is in place.
Maloney's clearest line was on the pace of the business. "There's some key positions that we still need a bit of work on in the next couple of days," he said on BBC. He also said Celtic are looking at "three or four" key additions, with anything beyond that being more about the future.
Left-back, midfield and Hatate
One of the obvious priorities is left-back. Maloney said Kieran Tierney has started the season really well, but Celtic need back-up there and someone who can keep challenging him. Tierney has made three Premiership appearances already, and Maloney stressed that Celtic want the right profile of player rather than a stopgap.
Midfield is the other area he singled out. He said the club need to replace what Arne Engels brought, with extra speed and power, plus a slightly different profile for certain games. Engels has made two league appearances, which fits the sense that Celtic are still working out the best balance in that part of the team.
Reo Hatate is the most open-name in the discussion. Maloney said it is possible Reo Hatate could move on, but he did not shut the door on either side. Hatate has not made a Premiership appearance in 2026, which does not prove anything on its own, yet it does leave Celtic with a decision to make as the window closes.
Celtic's next fixture is at Aberdeen on 2 September, and that leaves little time for any late arrivals to settle before the squad deadline bites.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
