Cillian Sheridan's view is blunt: Celtic are letting a familiar problem build by moving too slowly in the market. He said it has not been a good window so far, and the contrast with Rangers and Hearts is doing the damage. Celtic have made just one summer signing, Camilo Duran from Qarabag, while Rangers have added seven new players and paid transfer fees for four of them.

Sheridan's criticism of Celtic's window

"It hasn't been a good window so far, which you're kind of saying every year and every six months you're talking about how they haven't had a good transfer window," Sheridan said on BBC Scotland. That is the heart of his argument, because he is not talking about one missed deal or one slow week. He is talking about a pattern.

Sheridan also pointed to the wider market picture. "Especially at a time when you're seeing Rangers sign players nearly every week," he said. Celtic's first summer arrival, Camilo Duran from Qarabag, already had a small moment that summed up the mood when he said he was surprised by the lack of home fans at Celtic Park for the 1-1 pre-season draw with Middlesbrough.

Recruitment structure and rival activity

Sheridan's harsher point is that the problem sits deeper than timing. "It kind of all goes back to the fact there's no-one in the position of head of recruitment," he said, and he added that Celtic seem to be going back to targets that were already in place before, possibly from previous recruitment setups.

Rangers' recent activity gives that criticism extra weight. They have brought in seven players, with fees paid for four, while Celtic are still sitting on one signing. Hearts have added 11 new players and paid fees for five of them. Celtic have also won their last five league matches, so this is not about immediate results on the pitch. It is about a recruitment process that looks slower than the clubs around them.

Sheridan summed up the pressure neatly: "That's the modern model. Celtic are putting themselves under a lot of pressure before a ball is kicked." Right now, that looks like a fair complaint, and the next few weeks will decide whether one signing is the start of proper business or just the latest slow opening to a summer window.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →