Michael Nicholson confirms internal Celtic transfer review

In October 2025 Michael Nicholson admitted that Celtic were involved in an internal process over the summer transfer window.

On 24 June 2026 the club has failed to make a single signing this year.

In January five players were signed on loan. None have been retained. None have been thanked by the club for their contributions.

The contribution was minimal but there would have been no Scottish Cup Final without Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu.

In five months those two players have made a greater contribution to Celtic’s success than the combined efforts of Nicholson and Chris McKay since they started draining the wage bill.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was signed on a short term deal. In the spirit of improved communications of the club there has been no comment on the former England internationalist since the Scottish Cup Final. More than a month ago.

Last June Celtic announced the signings of Kieran Tierney and Ben Nygren.

SILENT NICHOLSON IS A SERIAL FAILURE

With less than a week to go in the month new signings are rarer than Nicholson appearing on Celtic TV.

The only time in the last year that Nicholson has been under any scrutiny was in October.

Numerous Celtic fan groups were invited for tea and biscuits and to have their tummies tickled. Generally it has been a winning formula.

This time the groups refused unless the recently formed Celtic Fans Collective were included.

Reluctantly Nicholson agreed.

Under questioning the Celtic CEO is even less impressive than the bland figure he cuts while pictured attending matches.

From the club published minutes of a meeting (page 4) on 7 October with a variety of supporter groups:

MN noted the points already discussed regarding communication methods, highlighting the recent Chief Executive report in the Club’s annual results, which noted the successes and also acknowledged that the Club did not achieve all of its objectives in the summer transfer window.

PQ asked when the Club last achieved its objectives in a transfer window. MN noted that the Club had had success in transfer windows, and accepted that we had got things wrong, but that the Club cannot get involved in commenting on individual players. MN noted that two key concerns had been raised by supporters during the transfer window: timing of transfers and the level of investment relative to cash reserves, and that the Club accepted that its communications on these issues had not been well received.

MN noted that player recruitment is something the Club continually assesses but cannot necessarily share publicly. MN confirmed that the Club had invested in players for the short, medium and long term. Supporters felt short-, medium- and long-term recruitment in theory looked scattergun in practice, citing the 2023 and 2025 summer windows as strong evidence of this.

When asked if the Club has identified what went ‘wrong’ during the summer transfer window, MN confirmed that an internal process of review is ongoing, which will focus on what went right and/or wrong and examine this against relevant factors, including the players’ personal career objectives, the selling/buying clubs aims, agents, taxation (Belgium and Germany tax systems were compared with UK) as examples of the variables at play, amongst others.

Ordering an enquiry or review is a well known delaying tactic.

The tax claim is typical of the deflection stunts from the board. German and Belgian tax laws are very clear. Other UK based companies manage to complete business every day of the week.

When Nicholson was asked to explain Brendan Rodgers using the term ‘club signings’ the CEO shrugged his shoulders. That reaction was included in the minutes agreed by the club a week after the meeting was held.