Martin O’Neill Teases Signings Before LASK Deadline

Martin O’Neill has revealed Celtic are making progress on further signings ahead of their Champions League play-off first leg against LASK.

The Hoops have already been active in the transfer market, but there is still work being done to strengthen the squad before Wednesday night’s European tie.

Speaking on Celtic Player, O’Neill was asked whether he expects more additions to arrive before the first leg.

He said: “It would be nice. I think that we are making progress. My favourite words. God almighty, even I get fed up with that.

“We’re making progress about some extra players coming in.”

The comments suggest Celtic are still working on more than one deal, with O’Neill referring to “some extra players” rather than a single addition.

That will be of interest given the timing.

Celtic can still make changes to their Champions League play-off squad before the first leg, but eligibility could limit which potential arrivals are actually able to face LASK.

A number of midfield names have been linked as Celtic assess their options, including Torino’s Gvidas Gineitis, Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa, Hajduk Split’s Niko Sigur and FC Copenhagen midfielder William Clem.

Of those four, Gineitis would be the only player eligible to feature against LASK.

Chaiwa, Sigur and Clem have all already played in Conference League qualifiers this season, meaning they would not be available to Celtic for the Champions League play-off tie.

That could make the timing around any move for Gineitis particularly important if Celtic want another midfield option available immediately in Europe.

The Torino midfielder has emerged as one of the more prominent names under consideration, while Chaiwa remains a player Celtic know well after previous interest.

Sigur would offer versatility as well as midfield cover, while Clem is another name discussed as part of the wider search.

The departure of Arne Engels to West Ham would also leave Celtic with another important decision to make in the middle of the park.

O’Neill’s light-hearted reaction to the phrase “making progress” also shows how often he has had to discuss transfer business in recent weeks.

For supporters, though, the key line is that further additions are still being worked on.

With LASK now just days away, Celtic will be hoping to get at least one more deal over the line, but only Gineitis from the current midfield names linked would be able to make an immediate impact in the play-off tie.