Martin O’Neill has moved to cool talk around Callum Wilson after fresh reports suggested the striker is set to head to Saudi Arabia next week.

Celtic were linked with an enquiry for the West Ham forward, but the situation now appears to be moving away from Glasgow. O’Neill addressed the story directly at his Friday press conference ahead of the Scottish Cup tie with Auchinleck.

The timing of the update matters for Celtic as January reaches a key point. The club remain short of goals in important moments, and the pressure to add a forward has grown with every game. Wilson’s name was one of several to surface as Celtic assessed what was possible in the market.

Reports from England have made clear that interest from the Middle East is strong. Saudi clubs are said to be preparing offers once Wilson’s contract situation at West Ham is settled. That level of interest has placed Celtic firmly on the outside of the race.

For O’Neill, the focus was less on one player and more on the wider task facing the club. Celtic are not alone in searching for goals, and options are limited as the window narrows. The manager’s words reflected that reality rather than any single negotiation.

He said: (TCW), “I can’t tell you anything. For want of telling you, it’s news to me. But we are in search of those elusive goalscorers. But we’re not the only team as well.

“On a serious note, I can’t tell you anything about it, but we are… Is it becoming my favourite phrase? We are making progress.

“I bet you just turned off the microphone.

“I hadn’t thought about that. Not that he’s not a very, very fine player, but I thought that he was going elsewhere.”

O’Neill’s comments underline how far the Wilson link has drifted from being a live issue. While Celtic made checks on availability, the direction of travel always depended on other factors. Those factors now appear to be pointing firmly away from the UK.

The situation also reflects the limits Celtic face when competing with clubs outside Europe. Even without a transfer fee, wages and contract terms can place players out of reach. That has long shaped how the club approach experienced names in January.

Attention now turns back to Celtic’s own timeline for signings. O’Neill has already hinted that movement is more likely next week rather than before the weekend. That window could allow new faces to be involved in league action rather than European duty.

The search for a striker continues as the window tightens. Wilson may no longer be part of that picture, but the need he represented has not gone away. Celtic remain active, aware that progress now has to turn into something concrete before the month closes.