Martin O’Neill has given an insight into Celtic’s early transfer planning, making it clear work is already underway behind the scenes ahead of the summer window.
With the season moving towards its final weeks, attention has started to shift. There is little time between the end of the campaign and the start of the next one, especially with early fixtures and qualifiers on the horizon.
That tight turnaround affects how business is done. Players need to be identified early, deals moved quickly, and the squad settled before competitive games begin again. Any delay can leave the team short in key areas.
At the same time, there is another layer to deal with. Celtic will have players returning from loan spells, which adds numbers before any new signings even arrive. That creates a different kind of decision for the staff.
He said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “Well, obviously, we’ve got a scouting system at this moment. We want to try and be proactive in that sense. There’s a lot of looking taking place at this minute.
“Well, that would be the same for any club. But from my viewpoint, I haven’t really involved myself. I look at the players, yeah.
“I have an opinion. But that’s what I have, is an opinion. And my opinion might differ from whoever else might come in.
“Yes, I think that it’s getting back to what happened last season. I think we were going to be, the football club was going to be really proactive, if we can be. There’s a shortened period before the season. It always has been up here, but it’s a shortened period. So, we’ll see. The games are the most important thing at this minute.
“The time element is kind of short after the season finishes until you go back pre-season.
“Now, interestingly, something I hadn’t realised… When I say I hadn’t realised, I knew that we have players out on loan. But we are going to have a lot of players coming back here. So, it’s going to be an oversized squad at the time. And that’s something that you would really have to look into.”
That last point shapes the whole window. Before adding players, space has to be created. Too many options in one position can slow decisions and limit minutes for those already in the group.
It also affects pre-season. A large squad means more players competing for fewer spots, which can make it harder to build a settled team before the first competitive match.
O’Neill’s role remains limited. He will watch, offer views, but the final decisions sit elsewhere. That leaves the structure in place to handle recruitment while the focus stays on the pitch.
With games still to play, that balance holds for now. Planning continues in the background, but the real test will come when the window opens and those decisions start to take shape.
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