Marc Guehi talks about Liverpool transfer rumours (Credits: Imago Images)
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has admitted he cannot guarantee captain Callum McGregor will remain at Parkhead beyond this summer’s transfer window.
The 33-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, where former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is now working.
Speculation intensified after McGregor recently linked up with the same agency group representing Rodgers, fuelling widespread talk of a high-profile reunion in the Middle East.
McGregor dropped a bombshell in April when he publicly warned he could leave Celtic unless the club matched his ambitions, a deliberate message aimed squarely at the board.
As one of the most decorated figures in Scottish football, his words carried genuine weight and triggered significant concern among the club’s supporters.
O’Neill acknowledged McGregor’s change of representation and offered no guarantees the skipper would still be leading the champions when the window closes.
The Celtic manager said: “He hasn’t hinted to me he wants to leave at this minute, that would be a bad blow. But sometimes money is a big thing, particularly when you’re past 30.”
O’Neill insisted he plans to hold talks with McGregor, who has two years remaining on his contract, but stopped well short of expressing full confidence in keeping him.
He said: “I will have a chat with him, he hasn’t brought it up at this moment, so maybe if he doesn’t speak to me, it’ll be all right. But if he does, I will tell him that we want him at the football club. But obviously if something comes in that is just mind-boggling for him, that becomes a different issue.”
O’Neill was also quick to play down the severity of McGregor’s earlier public statement, drawing on his own experiences as a player under Brian Clough.
He said: “Sometimes those things get lost in translation a little bit. I don’t think he meant it as bad as that. I know I used to do that myself as a player. ‘Had the club matched my ambition?’ and then I found out I wasn’t in the team. That’s what Brian Clough used to do.”
The Celtic boss was lavish in his praise for McGregor’s contribution throughout last season, describing him as an invaluable presence both on and off the pitch.
O’Neill said: “He was terrific for us, absolutely terrific. He’s been a really good captain anyway but last season, right from the start, from the first time that I came in in late October, whenever it was, until right to the end of the season with the second spell, I thought he was brilliant.”
He highlighted McGregor’s deep understanding of the club as something that cannot easily be replaced, comparing him to legendary figures such as Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon.
O’Neill said: “Sometimes when you bring in young lads who, like even the Colombian (Camilo Duran), maybe they’ve heard of Celtic but not really knowing what – I think that’s all you need is half an hour with Callum to let them know.”
Away from the McGregor uncertainty, Celtic have moved to strengthen their coaching setup by appointing set-piece specialist Ross Grant from Hearts.
Grant played a key role at Hearts as the Edinburgh club topped last season’s Premiership scoring charts from set-pieces, contributing 23 goals alongside Rangers.
The appointment fills the void left by first-team coach Gavin Strachan, who recently departed Parkhead for West Brom, and was supported by assistant Mark Fotheringham’s recommendation.
O’Neill said: “I’ve got one or two ideas of my own, which he’s probably dismissed! My belief is that set-pieces are so, so important defensively and offensively.”
Celtic are currently in Portugal for a week-long training camp in the Algarve, where O’Neill is using the time to implement tactical ideas and make incremental adjustments to the squad’s style of play.
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