Celtic's 2025/26 Summer transfer window: Stage: Panic

I’m sure we’d be fine mate

 

It’s a ridiculous risk to be taking given the position we’re in no?

 

Well Peter and the Bhoys say lower yer demands

 

* it, get big Nir Bitton back he’s a steady head in these types of games… I’m sure he would be a good left winger.

 

Efe Ambrose in at the back

 

Wish Celtic would seek professional help

 

Efe Ambrose Ballon D’or

 

Great tune

 

How far do you think the squad is from where you want it to be?

Well, we’re still… we’ve still got a wee bit of work to do. I think that it’s a huge credit to the guys who are here and how well they’ve worked. But the squad will hopefully look different again come the end of the window.

I think it’s very clear we need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department is always and always will be the strength of my teams, and we’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace them


You mentioned the end of the window. With it closing a couple of weeks earlier, does that bring greater urgency to do your work and get the players you want?

No, I think every coach will tell you and every manager, you would want your players in for the first day of pre-season to prepare them. That’s why you do pre-season, to prepare. But if they’re not available or you can’t get the right players that you want, then of course you have to wait.

I’m experienced enough now as a manager to not get frustrated. You become quite philosophical on these types of topics now, and I just know that where we need to improve, and I’m sure by the end of the window that we will do. And of course, the quicker that can be, the better.


Would you hope to be a little bit earlier than last time around, or would you envisage business getting done late?

Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’s… I don’t conclude the deals. The deals are…there are always time lags on them for different reasons. But I think that, come the end of that period, of course, we would want to… we would love to get players in earlier. There’s no doubt I would have liked to have players in now, but it’s not the case.

So I’m not going to kill my own joy and overthink stuff. I focus on what’s here. We know the work that we need to do, and it’s my responsibility to convince the club that we really need them. I’m not doing that job as well as maybe what I can, but I will continue to pursue that because it’s something that’s important for us.

Is it fair to say the attacking area is a priority for you?

Yeah, no shadow of a doubt. Like I said, it’s… people say, is it frustrating? It’s arithmetic for me. I’ve said it during the week. It’s just pure counting. If you count up the players that have lost in that area over the last period, who have gone, then clearly we need to replace that.

It’s a key part of our team, it’s a key part of how we play, it’s a key part of what excites supporters, and that’s what we want to bring to the club.



How important do you think this window is going to be in terms of the calibre of player that you bring in and whether that will allow you to go to that next level, for example, in Europe?

Well, I think every window is important. I don’t think just this window. I think it’s important this summer because of the needs of the team. The needs of the team are clear.

If you watch Celtic or you know football, you see where we need to improve. But that doesn’t change. Every window we want to come out of it being stronger as a squad, where we can, and this window is no different.

Has there been any indication of players that the club might be after, who are waiting to see if you get into the Champions League before they commit?

No. No, I don’t think that’s… we haven’t had any indication from any player that that’s the way. And I think the players that we bring here are players that are here to develop and improve, and they see this as a wonderful place to do that.

So, no, I think being in the Champions League or not won’t be a hindrance to bringing in really good players to Celtic.




Would you expect any outgoings and incomings?

I will speak to some of the guys this afternoon. Nothing really is on the radar as of yet, but you never know, things can move quickly.

You want another defender with Jahmai? Does he seem like the final defender?

Adding him to our group makes us stronger in that department. So yeah, there are lots of links with various players, but yeah, I would see him being our… I say last defender, last central defender.



You mentioned the final defender. Do you think you may look to sign another left-back, or have you been very happy with Yamada and Inamura and how they’ve done in that role in pre-season?

Yeah, for guys who have only been playing it for a short time, I think they have done really well. I’m assessing it every day and taking a real close look at certain aspects of his game.

He’s done well, and we have to make sure that by the end of the month, we’ve got it absolutely right for us going forward into certainly, into the next period.

In fairness to the boy, as I said, his plan was that he’d just… he’d come in and then probably go out on loan. I mentioned that right at the very beginning. That was the plan for him. But he’s come in and coped well. But we’ll see over the coming weeks where we’re at

 

So the manager saying that today suggests there’s nothing imminent. Scandalous. Get the game won Sunday then absolutely belt out sack the board all around the ground

 

How many windows does he have to blatantly or subtly have a go at our board and recruitment team?

Window after window it's either disappointment at no getting a player or position sorted. How many times does he have to spell it out that he wants quality and the squad improved, instead of weakened?

He's saying it clear as day again..

As others have been saying, I've been calm til a week or so ago.....but they've ripped the complete pish now..

Known Kyogo wanted away about a year ago. Still no replace him so far, well in to the second window since. No replaced Kuhn who we all knew was offski and that was weeks ago, with no quality right winger at all left..

It's * abysmal..

 

Shouldn't need to be pushing any *.

He will be away in the next few months if he's not backed

 

Brendan being as diplomatic as he can.

 

It’s happened before


They obviously don’t pay attention if they do well

 

In isolation, you'd be right. But they had a month in January to business. Failed. Lost a striker, banked the money and never replaced him.

The winter before that, 2 folk lost there job because of a failed window.

Last summer they left it very late, so much so, apparently we agreed £8m for Engels, sold O'Riley in the time we agreed a fee, that club moved the goals posts as we had £25 on the back of that, we were slow to conclude it, the fee went to £11m.

Knew we needed wingers in, since Kuhn had his head turned and Jota was out, yet nothing.

Ange in his first window, said he perhaps wasn't direct enough to the people who needed to know. BR with his comments this window so far.

We've had plenty months to get things done, we haven't. Don't know where this optimism of its fine, we'll do it in a month comes from.

 

If BR has to 'convince' the board to sign some new players it suggests that they think the squad is fine. Which is bad news indeed. When they sold Kuhn were they expecting to not replace him? Or were they just going to have a look around for someone they can get on the cheap? The lack of clear, positive long-term planning is a disgrace for a club with our resources.

 

Sounds like he still wants another ST..

As well as the wingers..

A LB too.

Hopefully a powerful DM but that would be too much to ask eh..