Anthony Joseph has claimed that there is no-one in control of recruitment at Celtic.
With less than two months to go until the next transfer window opens fans will be hoping that there are reinforcements to Martin O’Neill’s Starting XI.
That is despite the club making 10 signings during the summer, a group that has been broken down to those brought in before and after the Champions League exit to LASK Linz.
A worrying pattern has emerged from the summer recruitment.
Six of the 10 signings failed to make the 20 man matchday squad for Sunday’s match against Kilmarnock.
Joel van den Berg has yet to play a single minute.
On loan Chelsea duo Shim Mheuka and Landon Emenalo haven’t started a match. Jordan Lotomba has made one start plus three brief substitute appearances.
CONFUSION OVER CELTIC RECRUITMENT
It all paints a confusing picture of what Celtic are looking for.
Even more so with Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels sold and Alistair Johnstone restricted to three appearances.
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At 7 minutes 30 seconds Joseph opened up at the structural problems facing Celtic:
They’re missing so many. They don’t have a head of Football Operations. They don’t have a Head of Recruitment. They don’t have a Chief scout. I know James Bell Walker is sort of acting like that as as senior senior scout but there’s so many people their a number of analysts down.
I think there was an advert went up for like was it two or three analysts at Celtic. So their number of people down on on what would be part of the recruitment model under Celtic.
They don’t have a Sporting Director as we all know which I’m sure we’ll we’ll get into later.
But you’ve got the CEO (Nicholson), the CFO (McKay) and sometimes Martin O’Neill is getting involved in in the transfers and actually calling up players or or agents and dealing with them.
But in terms of actually doing the deals, just really Michael Nicholson who needs the approval of Dermot Desmond at times to sort of get things over the line and that’s why you often see holdups.
That’s why people get frustrated with the time it takes.
Month by month that situation has developed.
VACANT POSTS ABOUND
From October 2024 Paul Tisdale had the title of Head of Football Operations, on 5 January 2026 he left the club alongside Wilfried Nancy. Eleven months later Tisdale hasn’t been replaced or a new structure installed.
The Boardroom is similar with Brian Wilson now into his 11th month as interim Chairman.
Joseph then claimed that Celtic’s transfer targets completely changed in the summer following the Champions League exit to LASK Linz. Tellingly he claims that Sam Johnstone had dropped to fourth choice at Wolves before joining the hoops on loan on September 2. Johnstone is currently first choice goalkeeper at Celtic.
At 18 minutes Joseph delivered more detail on how he believes Celtic operates:
From my understanding the last few recruitment meetings, mid season, last season and through the summer have generally just been like a meeting of Martin O’Neill, Shaun Maloney, James Bell Walker, Michael Nicholson, Brian Wilson.
It is more just a meeting, coming together. This agent has come with this player, we’ve been looking at this player rather than having proper structure to it.
Where you could have, manager led, if you had a Sporting Director for example who was thinking already about the next transfer window it would more just be those kind of meetings, it will just be like right here’s our target list let’s go.
I’m going to go for these ones, these ones, these ones. Where as I think it’s more just a very general meeting of equals.
There should be a hierarchy in the meetings as to who brings what to the table and whereas you’ve got, like for example Michael Nicholson who’s not a football person obviously, he is he’s a lawyer and got financial background as well. So for them to be like a major player in that kind of discussion it’s not great.
And when you ask about who is actually in control. I can’t actually tell you who’s in control because I don’t think anyone is actually in control.
Celtic fans know what a successful January transfer window looks like.
On 31 December 2021 Celtic announced the signings of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yasuke Ideguchi. Two weeks later they were joined by Matt O’Riley. Three of those players were central to Celtic winning three titles and gaining Champions League exposure.
In contrast, in January 2026 Celtic made five loan signings, none became permanent transfers. Only Julian Araujo improved on the squad.
There will be lots of speculation about January transfer activity.
Joseph has painted a messy picture of how Celtic do business. How accurate that is will be seen on the pitch from the contribution of those signed.
CLICK HERE for Transfermarkt breakdown on Celtic transfers.
