At the end of April Martin O’Neill drifted in to discussing Celtic’s needs in the summer transfer window.
Three consecutive windows under Michael Nicholson had seriously weakened the first team squad.
From the February 2025 highlight of taking Bayern Munich to the 178th minute in a Champions League Play Off to going into the SPFL split in third place.
That process had forced Brendan Rodgers into resigning. Nicholson turned to Wilfried Nancy then realised 33 days later that the Frenchman was as useless as he was.
For the second time O’Neill was recalled to manage the club on an interim basis.
Back in April, Martin O’Neill spoke of Celtic being proactive and ready for the challenges ahead.
We’re now 32 days into the summer transfer window…
One player signed. pic.twitter.com/StP6yDDQXA
— La Gazzetta dello Celtic (@GazzettaCeltic) July 17, 2026
58 seconds:
I think that the football club is going to be really proactive, if it can be. I think, as I mentioned before, I think that we want to be proactive, the club has got to, whatever happens. It is a very short pre-season, you are almost back into it again in regards to when you finish. If you don’t finish in the top two , I think your back in weeks, I think you have a 10 day break, with players away, I think that when everybody settles down you’d want Celtic to be really properly competitive.
Really competitive because you see Hearts being competitive, you see Rangers getting stronger, and, yeah, so Celtic have got to be ready for those challenges.
While retaining a challenge for the SPFL title O’Neill assessed the squad and what was needed to get back towards full strength.
To have a team sheet that included players like Giorgos Giakoumakis, Liel Abada and Aaron Mooy. Or Matt O’Riley, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Nicholson brought in five players on loan in January. Effectively players of no use to their current clubs.
They performed to expectations. None were retained.
O’NEILL KNOWS THE TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS
O’Neill knew the issues up close.
Ahead of the first post-split fixture at home to Falkirk on April 25 The Celtic Way reported O’Neill laying out his transfer expectations:
We will have to try and act relatively quickly on players. On the larger picture, yeah, I’m looking at this minute at players. But it is strange because I’m more focused on the matches here.
So, if you’ve got a spare hour, the scouts are in there, they’re looking at a lot of things, which they should be doing anyway.
This is the point, let’s say somebody steps in during the first week of June or something, then they [scouts] should be able to put a lot of this forward to him and say, ‘This is what we’re doing, this is the general consensus that these players are really good’.
And then it’s up to him [new manager] to have a look at these players and see.
If I have seen them and, let’s say by some miracle that I did stay on, then at least I would have an idea about them, but the focus for me at this minute has to be on these last five games.
The miracle happened, O’Neill was confirmed as Celtic manager on June 11.
Less than two weeks before the first competitive match of the season Celtic have added one player to last season’s squad.
Nicholson has already lost Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi. The Celtic CEO is working morning and night to sell Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, Alistair Johnston and others.
O’Neill is expected to give an update on Celtic’s transfer failings on Friday when he previews the friendly against AC Milan.
The Champions League Play Off is less than a month away. Clearly Nicholson has failed to deliver on O’Neill’s proactive expectation for the transfer window.
They are proactive, proactively raking in as much cash as they can for the odious Desmond and his malignant junta of corporate greed and austerity fc, then they keep it ,I have heard that a new product will be offered to the season ticket holders magic beans , I mean they bought the season tickets on the basis that Martin O’Neil would be backed ,so the magic beans are magic according to Desmond. Stop giving them your money or you are complicit in the destruction of our club
Roll up Roll up for Desmond magic bean tour , also new magic hair restorer , and new magic rose tinted glasses everything looks great ,all bought at buyers risk no money back guarantee, stop giving them your money or you are complicit in the destruction of our club
Busy selling
O’Neill talks a good game ,,,,,,that’s about it
Aye, MON will say whatever is necessary to get through a press conference. He has as much idea of what’s going on as I have. Difference is I give a fuck but can’t influence anything. Martin, however. Let’s just say I’m having my doubts. Undoubtedly DD right hand man. Not good
I don’t believe in this Messiah narrative about Martin ONeil. Yes yes yes he saved our season last year and I think he personally enjoyed every second of it. By his own admission he felt reborn…….but Martin is at Celtic for Martin !!!! Yes he will do everything he can to win……but make no mistakes, be under no illusion he’s will not rock any boats he won’t even stand up !!!! He will leave Celtic with a new sense of purpose, and feeling of self worth and maybe a couple of million richer for his Grandchildren.
Yes yes yes he will do his best to win, he will strive to win, and that’s why I was relieved but not delighted at the appointment, as Nancy was only about Nancy, but Martin will also accept what he’s given, he’s not here for that fight and that is ultimately why he was chosen !
They all wanted him to stay which was music to the boards ears. They bought the tickets under false pretences. The same every year guys so nobody to blame but yourselves. HH
Oh dearest Martin Sunshine…
Ya should’ve gone out in your blaze of glory last season…
They’re shiting all over ya from a great height now for sure !
It’s a funny old game
The press conferences have become the Martin O’Neill Show. His sat sitting stand-up routine in front of the microphones act this summer season promises to be a sell out, depending on the weather and the amount left in your pocket from being short changed, tell me another.
The format with an invited audience has grandpa O’Neill playing a jolly Generation game, he gets to practice his spin at quick question and answer sessions. A balancing and conjuring show takes place, were the score of players out the door doesn’t match the nice to see you, to see you nice, score of players coming in the doors!
All this positive publicity from staying silent, is all thanks to Mike. I think, that I think there are two sides to every story, no word of a lie, I don’t know why the deals with Saracchi and Iheanacho weren’t done, Mike shook hands with them over the phone. We tried everything to get them, but maybe he should have offered them money. We’re making progress Mike bought a pen, didn’t he do well!