Marco Tilio’s Celtic future feels far more cut and dried

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The Celtic Star

·14. Juli 2025

Marco Tilio’s Celtic future feels far more cut and dried

If Celtic have a real decision to make on Hyunjun Yang, one that requires proper thought and a fair dose of strategic patience, then Marco Tilio’s future feels far more cut and dried…

Marco Tilio of the City celebrates after winning the A-League Men Grand Final match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on May 31, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Sky Sports’ ever-reliable Anthony Joseph has been busy again with his Celtic winger updates, and hot on the heels of reporting Norwich City’s interest in Yang, he’s now revealed that Melbourne City are exploring a return for Marco Tilio — either on loan or in a permanent deal.

OneFootball Videos

“Melbourne City want to re-sign Celtic winger Marco Tilio. The A-League side are exploring the conditions of another loan move, or permanent deal.”

Marco Tilio arrives at Celtic. Photo Celtic FC

Melbourne City want to re-sign Celtic winger Marco Tilio. The A League side are exploring the conditions of another loan move, or permanent deal. Celtic signed the Australia international in July 2023 for £1.5m, but he's been loaned back to Melbourne in 2 spells since Feb 2024.
– Sonntag, 13. Juli 2025

Tilio, signed in July 2023 for £1.5m, has spent had two loan spells back home since signing for Celtic, and although he featured for 45 minutes on Saturday and didn’t do himself any harm, the writing appears very much on the wall.

The big issue from the player’s side is, if Tilio still harbours serious ambitions of making Australia’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, he needs first-team football every week, and unfortunately for him, those opportunities just don’t look like they’ll come at Celtic Park.

Marco Tilio arrives at Celtic. Photo Celtic FC

With the club actively pursuing wide reinforcements in this transfer window — and with Brendan Rodgers already stating he’s light in quality and numbers in those areas — it’s only a matter of time before the new arrivals begin to arrive. And when they do, Tilio drops even further down the pecking order.

This isn’t to say the 22-year-old lacks ability. He’s clearly a tidy player, technically sound and quite a skilful winger, but in a Celtic shirt, we’ve never really seen the spark that justified the £1.5m fee or the fuss that surrounded his initial arrival.

Whether that’s down to injuries, lack of confidence, or just not settling — who knows? But at this point, it’s simply not working.

Marco Tilio of the City lifts the trophy as Melbourne City players celebrate after winning the A-League Men Grand Final match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on May 31, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

There’s a certain clarity to this situation. Unlike Yang — who shows signs of development, glimpses of end product, and could still play a role — Tilio feels like a square peg in a round hole. He needs a fresh start, regular football, and a manager who’s going to build around his strengths. That’s not going to happen at Celtic if we’re all being honest about it.

So, whether it’s another loan or a permanent exit, the right move here is straightforward. Tilio needs to go, and Celtic need to clear the decks for players who can genuinely contribute to a title push and a Champions League campaign.

It’s been a strange spell at Celtic for Tilio. No drama, no headlines, and sadly, no real impact. Best for all parties if the next time we see Marco Tilio lighting up a game, it’s back in the A-League — not drifting on the fringes at Celtic.

Niall J

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