Celtic kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against Shelbourne at Tolka Park in sweltering 27-degree heat on Tuesday night.
Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond watched from the VIP box alongside CEO Michael Nicholson and interim chairman Brian Wilson as the Hoops laboured in Dublin.
Fans will hope the Irish tycoon is now ready to bankroll Martin O’Neill’s summer spending spree as Celtic close in on £6million hitman Camilo Duran.
The champions remain the only top-flight club in Scotland yet to make a single addition to their squad during the current transfer window.
Colombian striker Duran, 24, is expected to wrap up his switch from Qarabag in the coming days and kick off a flurry of new arrivals at Parkhead.
Two late penalties apiece settled the contest, with Harry Wood converting for Shelbourne in the 88th minute before Shin Yamada equalised from the spot after Maik Nawrocki was floored.
O’Neill fielded completely different XIs in each half, giving a large crop of academy hopefuls valuable first-team minutes against a Shelbourne side fifth in the Irish League.
One glance at the matchday squad underlined the pressing need for new signings, with roughly half the panel made up of academy prospects.
Celtic were also without their World Cup contingent, including Kieran Tierney, Alistair Johnston, Auston Trusty, Benjamin Nygren, Sebastian Tounekti, and Daizen Maeda.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was not expected to rejoin the squad until the club departed for Portugal, while wantaway Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate was also absent without explanation.
Portuguese winger Jota remains sidelined with an ACL tear and is not due back until Halloween, adding further weight to the case for immediate recruitment.
The return of Cameron Carter-Vickers from an Achilles injury suffered in October was arguably the most encouraging storyline of the evening for O’Neill.
The USA international, arguably the best defender in Scotland on his day, had a relatively solid 45-minute run-out alongside Dane Murray, winning most of his aerial duels.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha was handed a rare start in his preferred No10 role but was largely ineffective before being substituted at half-time, leaving his Parkhead future in serious doubt.
The Belgian featured just 14 times last season, making only three starts, following his lengthy £5million arrival from Royal Antwerp, and this pre-season looks make-or-break for the 25-year-old.
Nawrocki returned from a season-long loan with Hannover 96 and never put a foot wrong, making a crucial intervention to deny a Shelbourne counter-attack.
The commanding 25-year-old Pole could yet earn a clean slate under O’Neill if he can maintain his fitness following a difficult spell away from the club.
Yamada replaced Osmand up top in the second half and, despite a forgettable loan stint with Preussen Munster, hustled effectively and drew Celtic level from the penalty spot.
Young left-back Joseph Haney, 17, caught the eye on his top-team start, while tricky winger Thomas Hatton was the standout performer among the academy hopefuls introduced after the break.
With a £40million winner-takes-all Champions League play-off looming, the hierarchy knows it cannot afford to repeat past mistakes, making the imminent arrival of Duran a long-overdue statement of intent.
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