"I'm hoping that we can get some people in before the transfer deadline." Martin O'Neill said that after Celtic came through Tuesday's defeat by Lask Linz and the club now sit on four arrivals this window. He also made clear the work is not finished, saying Celtic would need a few more bodies to supplement the squad.
Celtic's transfer work is not done
The point behind O'Neill's comments is straightforward enough. Celtic have already signed four players this window, with Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur arriving before the LASK tie, but the manager is still pressing for more. That is a decent sign of intent, even if the market does not always move as clubs hope.
O'Neill's wording matters because he did not frame the move as optional. He said, "We're still trying to get some players in, we would need a few in obviously to supplement the squad." That sits alongside Celtic's domestic form, with five straight wins at league level, so the need here is about depth and European demands rather than a team in trouble.
The Champions League pull on targets
O'Neill was also clear about why the Champions League miss may complicate recruitment. "The Champions League is a big carrot for, particularly a lot of younger players," he said, and he added that "the prestige is not there the same [in the Europa League], it's still a great competition. Obviously, the finance is still the big thing."
That is the real issue for Celtic. They fell short of the Champions League after a second straight play-off disappointment, and LASK won the tie 5-4 on aggregate after Celtic led 4-1 at half-time. O'Neill admitted the second half went badly and said the result left him disappointed with himself.
The Europa League offers a route forward, but it does not carry the same pull when Celtic are trying to convince younger players to choose them before the deadline. O'Neill still believes the club can get deals done, and Tuesday's setback has not stopped him saying so publicly.
The deadline is the key date now, and Celtic's recruitment work has a few more days to run.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
