Celtic Set For Transfer Review After Summer: What Should The Hoops Revisit In January? | OneFootball

Celtic have a transfer review after a summer that left Martin O’Neill with questions. According to an exclusive report from Celts Are Here, O’Neill and board members are due to meet today to assess what the club could not complete and where the squad remains short.

The meeting will examine decisions. Celtic believe they made progress with an evidence-led recruitment process, rather than rushing into deals for players who did not match their plans. Yet the failed move for 22-year-old Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis stands out. Talks stalled, and the club chose late loan additions instead of forcing a permanent signing.

Celtic’s five league wins provide a counterpoint, but O’Neill has admitted that several newcomers need time before they reach their best level. The review should judge results and squad construction as January approaches. Celts Are Here says the board will decide which profiles deserve another look when the market reopens.

What should Celtic revisit in January?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: Celtic manager Martin O’Neill arrives prior to the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on September 02, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The board must separate process from the squad. Celtic wanted better decisions, yet the summer ended with O’Neill relying on temporary solutions in areas where he needed quality.

Gineitis shows it. He offered the energy, running and midfield balance O’Neill wanted, especially after Arne Engels left for West Ham, and Celtic had pursued the deal. When Torino talks collapsed, Celtic needed an alternative with a similar profile. Instead, they turned to loan additions late in the window.

That may protect the club from a bad permanent contract, but it shifts the cost into sporting performance. A loan can cover numbers, yet it doesn’t necessarily solve midfield coordination or give O’Neill a settled unit. Six of Celtic’s 10 summer signings arrived in the final 48 hours, while five came on loan, leaving little room for pre-season work. O’Neill admitted he would have preferred players in earlier.

The five loan deals may help today, but they leave Celtic facing another recruitment cycle when those players return to their parent clubs. That can force O’Neill to rebuild roles and relationships again in January.

Why did Celtic leave O’Neill short?

Celtic can point to five wins from five in the league, and that is significant. However, domestic results can hide squad weaknesses. European football demands greater depth and quicker integration, particularly when injuries arrive or rotation becomes necessary. By avoiding a permanent decision they feared regretting, the board may create a larger January problem, because another temporary patch won’t solve the gap before the domestic season truly settles at Parkhead.