Liverpool s striker Mohamed Salah L and midfielder Harvey Elliot R take part in a training session held at Saint-Denis Stadium, in Paris, France, 27 May 2022. Liverpool FC will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final soccer match on 28 May. Eve of the UEFA Champions League final soccer match ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJUANJOxMARTINxes-ESx GRAF1331 0160060730st
Martin O’Neill faces one of the most demanding transfer windows in recent Celtic history as the club heads into pre-season with alarming gaps across the entire squad.
Celtic could return for pre-season training next week around a dozen players lighter, with that number potentially doubling as O’Neill continues to clear the decks at Parkhead.
The champions will discover today who they face in their opening Premiership title defence, but fans will hope the Double-winning squad looks almost unrecognisable by flag day.
Out-of-contract cult hero Kelechi Iheanacho has made no secret of his desire to extend his stay in Glasgow, with his goalscoring heroics helping rescue five-in-a-row last season.
Questions remain over his fitness, but the ex-Manchester City, Leicester City and Sevilla striker could still command a significant role both as a starter and a super sub throughout 2026/27.
Marcelo Saracchi also falls firmly into the no-brainer category, with the Uruguayan left-back attracting interest from MLS clubs and Turkey despite wanting to rejoin Celtic after an impressive loan spell.
Saracchi would provide quality cover for Kieran Tierney at a cut-price fee of less than two million pounds, with chief executive Michael Nicholson tasked with finalising a deal.
Elijah Just represents arguably the most pressing recruitment challenge, with the Motherwell midfielder having taken Scottish football by storm during a sparkling debut campaign that earned him a Player of the Year nomination.
Just made World Cup history for New Zealand by becoming the first Kiwi to score a brace on football’s biggest stage, netting twice in a 2-2 draw with Iran and announcing himself to clubs across Europe.
With Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels and possibly Benjamin Nygren all likely to depart, Just is considered the most natural successor in the Celtic midfield, though a bidding war now looms large.
Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh, Go Ahead Eagles midfielder Jakob Breum and Borussia Dortmund rising star Cole Campbell are among other names believed to feature on a growing Celtic shortlist.
Defensively, the Hoops look more settled, with Cameron Carter-Vickers returning from a long-term Achilles injury to partner fellow American Auston Trusty at the heart of the backline.
Liam Scales has signed a new contract and Alistair Johnston and Kieran Tierney are considered Champions League-quality full-backs, giving O’Neill a reasonable base to build from in defence.
Viljami Sinisalo provides assurance behind the back four, though O’Neill may look to upgrade the goalkeeper position following Kasper Schmeichel’s retirement from the game.
Captain Callum McGregor remains the heartbeat of the Celtic dressing room, but at 33, the serial winner requires energetic and combative legs alongside him in the engine room.
The club has been crying out for a defensive powerhouse in the mould of Victor Wanyama for years, while more pace and dynamism in the middle of the park are also desperately needed.
Further forward, Daizen Maeda’s expected departure to one of Europe’s top five leagues leaves a gigantic void, with his 17 goals and relentless pressing proving almost impossible to replicate.
O’Neill is expected to target at least two new strikers, while two or three wide men are also needed, with the left flank identified as the most urgent area requiring reinforcement.
Crocked winger Jota is not expected to return until late October, Seb Tounekti has not fully convinced, James Forrest turns 35 next month, and Michel-Ange Balikwisha is considered surplus to requirements.
The board, having vowed to right the wrongs of previous windows, are now in what one assessment described as last-chance saloon, with the quest for six-in-a-row and a forty-million-pound Champions League play-off rapidly approaching.
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