Post-Qualifying Plan: Tooling up for Europa League, but Celtic still look short | OneFootball

The Post-Qualifying Plan: Tooling up for The Europa League, but Celtic still look short, Colin Dempster argues…

Martin O’Neill, Manager of Celtic looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Play off round second leg match between LASK and Celtic at on August 25, 2026 in Linz, Austria. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

The reality of no longer being a Champions League club has exposed a harsh, systemic reality at Parkhead. The recent qualifying campaign brutally proved what many had feared since the £22m departure of Arne Engels: the squad’s core engine room and defensive spine lack the European-level steel and tactical floor required to survive on the continent.

With Champions League revenue officially off the table, the board has abandoned the marquee £15m market. Instead, Martin O’Neill must navigate a recalculated five-man structural matrix designed specifically to handle a gruelling Europa League group stage before next Thursday’s transfer deadline slams shut.

The Midfield Rebuild: Capitalising on the O’Riley Pathway

The standout target of this late window is William Clem from FC Copenhagen. Valued at around £3 million, the 22-year-old Danish Under-21 international is represented by the boutique agency AS1, who treat him as their absolute prized asset.

William Clem of F.C. Copenhagen warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Villarreal CF and F.C. Copenhagen at Estadio de la Ceramica on December 10, 2025 in Villarreal, Spain. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

The only reason a player of Clem’s elite defensive ceiling is eager to move to Glasgow is the promise of the ‘Matt O’Riley Pathway.’ His camp knows Celtic is the ultimate European launchpad to turn a modest investment into a £25m asset.

Tactically, Clem represents a rugged, press-resistant single-pivot anchor. His signature would give O’Neill a pure defensive shield, finally freeing Callum McGregor from being completely isolated against aggressive central counter-pressing in European ties.

Alongside Clem, a Celtic delegation has officially travelled to Eindhoven to thrash out a permanent deal for Joel van den Berg. The 19-year-old PSV Eindhoven wonder-kid and Netherlands Under-19 captain notched seven goals and four assists for Jong PSV last season.

Amir Bouhamdi, Jol van den Berg, Paul Wanner, Guus Til, Ryan Flamingo, Noah Fernandez all of PSV walk from the pitch dejected during the Dutch Eredivisie Johan Cruijff Schaal match between PSV and AZ Alkmaar at Philips Stadion on August 2, 2026 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Photo Ben Gal IMAGO

He is the quintessential project with pedigree. Van den Berg possesses the press-resistant turning capability and late penalty-box runs required to directly fill the dynamic, line-breaking ball progression vacuum left by Engels.

Resolving the Defensive Spine and Full-Back Depths

Between the sticks, dropping into the Champions League tier has triggered a frantic, late-window shootout for an experienced number two shot-stopper. The analytical eye has turned heavily to Zenit’s 27-year-old Denis Adamov, who is entering the final year of his deal and seeks a European platform.

RUSSIA, MOSCOW – AUGUST 23, 2026: Zenit s goalkeeper Denis Adamov is in action in a 2026/2027 Russian Premier League Round 5 football match between Spartak Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg at Lukoil Arena. Sergei Savostyanov/TASS – IMAGO

Adamov offers a dominant presence off his line and is competing for the slot against Wolves’ veteran England international Sam Johnstone, who is available on a cut-price basis. Securing either profile gives O’Neill the reliable, experienced depth needed to push Viljami Sinisalo and protect the squad from a single-injury catastrophe.

Sam Johnstone of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Shrewsbury Town on January 10, 2026. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

For the full-back positions, the Europa League reality means mitigating long-term wage risks through loan structures. On the right, Celtic are actively exploring a loan move for Southampton’s 26-year-old Japan international Yukinari Sugawara.

Daizen Maeda of Japan celebrates with teammate Yukinari Sugawara after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Japan and Sweden at Dallas Stadium on June 25, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Boasting elite athleticism and six Bundesliga assists while on loan at Werder Bremen last season, Sugawara provides immediate European experience. His arrival buys crucial developmental time for 19-year-old homegrown prospect Colby Donovan, who cannot carry the right-back burden alone while Alistair Johnston recovers.

Landon Emenalo of Chelsea FC runs with the ball during the Sydney Super Cup match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Accor Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

On the left, Chelsea’s highly-rated 18-year-old prospect Landon Emenalo has already visited Lennoxtown to scope out a loan move. Emenalo will act as a direct deputy to Kieran Tierney, providing the raw, high-ceiling depth needed to handle demanding Thursday-Sunday fixture schedules.

The Wide Realignment: Durán’s Left-Wing Future

The board has already closed the book on incoming wide players following the outbound departure of Michel-Ange Balikwisha to KAA Gent on a loan-to-buy package. Despite Balikwisha leaving a vacancy on the flank, the trail has gone completely ice cold in the transfer market for a replacement winger.

Hearts v Celtic, Scottish Premiership at Tynecastle Park on 26 October 2025: Pictured: Michel-Ange Balikwisha Celtic. Photo Alex Todd via IMAGO

Standing in for Martin O’Neill at a recent press conference, assistant manager Shaun Maloney explicitly indicated that the coaching staff considers the wide positions well-stocked and covered for the season ahead. Consequently, early-summer scouting targets such as Adrian Blake were shelved in favour of internal versatility and existing squad options.

Camilo Duran scores his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 play-offs first leg match between Celtic and LASK at Celtic Park on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The club is leaning into the tactical versatility of £6m summer signing Camilo Duran. While the 24-year-old Colombian’s primary designated role is a Centre-Forward, he holds verified positional utility to drift out wide. Critically, Duran is naturally left-footed.

While he notched a superb double from the right side during the 3-0 first-leg win against LASK, the opening on the flank allows Martin O’Neill to utilize Duran’s natural left foot directly down his natural wide channel.

Haissem Hassan makes his Celtic debut. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Supported by the £9m arrival of right-winger Haissem Hassan, O’Neill plans to unleash an interchanging front three. This tactical shift allows Kasper Høgh to spearhead the attack centrally while Durán’s robust, left-footed physical running power re-balances the left wing as a direct, traditional crossing threat.

Still Running on Empty

Yet, even if the board pushes all five of these deals over the line before Thursday’s deadline, the sobering reality is that Celtic still look incredibly short.

1st March 2026; Ibrox Scottish Premiership the Rangers versus Celtic; Kieran Tierney of Celtic celebrates after he heads the ball and scores. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Relying on an 18-year-old loanee to protect Kieran Tierney’s minutes, a teenager to back up the right-back slot, and two youth internationals under the age of 22 to rebuild a broken midfield spine is a massive gamble.

By clearing out Balikwisha and failing to recruit a natural, proven left-winger, the club has chosen to lean entirely on tactical compromises and internal versatility.

Brian Wilson, Dermot Desmond and Michael Nicholson overseeing 2 x £40m Champions League misses…

Securing Clem and Van den Berg is now the absolute bare minimum required just to keep our heads above water. Hopefully, there are still a few more stokes in the fire hidden away inside the boardroom before the window slams shut, but as the final hours tick down, it certainly doesn’t look like it.

Colin Dempster

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