Celtic Complete Six Signings in Dramatic Late Transfer Surge
Celtic have completed a remarkable late transfer-window overhaul, bringing in six new players in little more than 24 hours as Martin O’Neill moved to strengthen his squad ahead of the UEFA registration deadline.
The Scottish champions accelerated their recruitment drive at the most crucial point of the window, with the club confirming several deals in the final hours before Wednesday night’s 11pm European deadline. The frantic activity followed Celtic’s 3-0 Scottish Premiership victory over Aberdeen, a result that maintained their perfect start to the league season.
Among the arrivals was Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who joined on loan and was included among the substitutes against Aberdeen. Chelsea teenager Shim Mheuka also arrived on loan and made his Celtic debut from the bench during the victory.
Celtic also secured the signing of Chelsea youngster Landon Emenalo, although the 18-year-old is still several weeks away from being fully fit. The club added further depth in midfield with Oliver Sørensen, who joined from Parma and also made his debut against Aberdeen.
The final two pieces of O’Neill’s late recruitment drive were Joel van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba. Van den Berg arrived from PSV Eindhoven on a four-year contract, while Swiss international Lotomba joined from Feyenoord on a deal running until the end of the season.
The scale and speed of Celtic’s activity was striking. Six of the club’s ten summer signings arrived during the final 48 hours of the transfer window, highlighting just how much work was completed behind the scenes before the deadline.
O’Neill has made no secret of his satisfaction with the business. Following the Aberdeen victory, the Celtic manager praised the club’s recruitment efforts and said he was pleased to have the new players through the door.
The late arrivals also came alongside significant departures. Midfielder Reo Hatate completed a permanent move to Burnley, while striker Johnny Kenny joined Preston North End, creating additional room within Celtic’s squad.
However, the timing of some of the deals has already created an interesting European selection issue. Celtic confirmed that Emenalo, Mheuka and Van den Berg were left out of the Europa League squad, meaning their immediate opportunities will largely come in domestic competition.
For O’Neill, the priority now is integrating the newcomers into a team that has already made an impressive start to its league campaign. Celtic have won their opening four Premiership matches, and the manager will be hoping the additional depth can help them maintain that momentum while competing in Europe.
What looked like a relatively quiet transfer window for long periods suddenly turned into a spectacular late rush.
Six arrivals in little more than 24 hours have given O’Neill a significantly reshaped squad. The question now is whether Celtic’s last-minute gamble can translate into success on the pitch.
