Celtic’s recruitment this season will not be dressed up as anything other than a failure.

Across the summer and January windows, too many signings have failed to make any real impact, leaving the squad short where it mattered most.

There have been exceptions. Benjamin Nygren stands out. The Swedish forward has delivered 19 goals and eight assists in a Celtic side that has struggled for rhythm for large spells of the campaign.

Julian Araujo also did enough to earn pass marks after arriving in January, before injury cut his involvement short just as he was settling.

Beyond that, it has been slim pickings.

The Scotsman compiled a list of the 10 worst signings across the Scottish Premiership this season, and three Celtic players featured. It is difficult to argue against any of them being there.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha was a long-term target, tracked for over a year before Celtic committed close to £5 million to bring him in from Royal Antwerp.

He has offered nothing resembling a return on that investment. 16 appearances and two assists leaves supporters wondering just what it is our scouts saw in him.

Joel Mvuka’s arrival in January came with its own confusion, initially expected to be a permanent deal before shifting to a loan with an option to buy.

He has barely been seen. Two appearances, both in the Scottish Cup, amount to just 86 minutes. That tells its own story.

Junior Adamu at least made an early impression, scoring on his debut to force extra time against Dundee in the cup. Since then, there has been very little.

Five further appearances have passed without note, and there is no realistic scenario where his option to buy is triggered.

It all feeds into a wider issue. Celtic sit third, and the title is still within reach, but that does not mask the problems that have been building across the season.

Recruitment has played a major part in that. Too many signings have failed to contribute, leaving the manager short of reliable options and forcing a reliance on players already carrying the load.

This summer now looms large. Several players will return from loan spells elsewhere, while those brought in on short-term deals in January are expected to head back out the door.

A rebuild is coming, whether the club frame it that way or not. After the last two windows, it simply has to be better.