Is Celtic’s current transfer model fit for purpose? Part 5 – Business so far | OneFootball

In the past few days I have been writing articles on The Celtic Star focusing on transfer activity not just involving the current situation at Celtic but also transfers involving some of our more recent former players who are once again on the move after leaving Glasgow in the past year or so. I will be also looking at the wider picture and trying to assimilate whether or not our transfer model is currently failing.

Celtic manager Brendan Rogers meets fans before the game Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 08 July 2025Cork SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh Ireland Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan Shutterstock

On Monday I focused on the transfer of Nicolas Kuhn to Como, one where I felt we have failed to get as much for a star player as we should have. On Tuesday I looked at how certain players are now worth a lot more after leaving Celtic, even though they haven’t made much of an impression since leaving to pastures new. On Wednesday I looked at a few players who could leave this summer and what kind of price Celtic should be looking for them and yesterday I delved into how we utilise the loan market.

This brings me on to how I think things are going so far this summer and whether we will all be happy with the business completed by the club come the end of the transfer window.

Kieran Tierney, Photo Celtic FC

So first things first we will look at our moves in the market so far. The biggest signing of the summer has already been completed with Kieran Tierney coming back to the club. This is an absolutely huge signing, one we wouldn’t be able to make had Tierney not been desperate to come home and take a wage cut for the pleasure of doing so. We have got a world class player in his prime on a free transfer, this is the kind of deal the board must dream about at night. So enough said on that one. Great work Celtic.

Ross Doohan back to business at Celtic as pre-season training at Lennoxtown gets underway. Photo Celtic FC

Along with Tierney we have brought another former player home, goalkeeper Ross Doohan. With Scott Bain ending his time at Celtic this deal was a no brainer and will fill the 3rd choice goalkeeping position well, especially with him being a home grown talent which works well when registering squads for Europe. Barring a horrendous goalkeeping injury crises I doubt we will see much of Doohan next season but the thought will be that he moves up to second choice behind Sinisalo once Schmeichel departs at the end of the season.

Celtic’s new signing Benjamin Nygren at Celtic Park. Photo Celtic FC

Swedish international Benjamin Nygren has also been recruited early in the window. The winger was signed from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland in a deal supposed to be in and around the £1.5m mark which to me was an absolute bargain. Having just turned 24 and with his career trajectory only going one way, we have done fantastically well to lure him to Scotland. This looks a shrewd piece of business and one that, at the price, looks relatively risk free. Kudos to whoever was involved in sourcing this player and concluding this deal.

Callum Osmand signs for Celtic. Photo Celtic FC

Hayato Inamura of Celtic Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 08 July 2025 Cork SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh Ireland Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan/Shutterstock

We then have both Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura who to me seem like similar sorts of deals. Osmand we snapped up on a free from Fulham and Inamura came for a small fee from Albirex Niigata. Both were signed due to their future potential and two players i doubt we will see too much of next season.

Having watched them play in the recent friendly against Cork I have to admit I was impressed by both so recruiting the two for little to no money looks a solid piece of business and one that can hopefully pay dividends in the future. A move to the likes of Falkirk as suggested by Niall J of this parish yesterday could be exactly what this pair need.

Nicolas Kuhn on his way to Como. Photo social media

That concludes the arrivals but what about the departures? I’ll start with the most important one first and that’s Nicolas Kuhn. It has become part of the ‘Celtic Model’ that we sell off at least one of our star players every year. Do I agree with it? Well no, we don’t HAVE to sell a star player every year, we have money in the bank but we seemingly like to just hoard that and only provide the manager with money we make from sales.

Financially responsible? Yes, but certainly not ambitious, which frustrates a lot of us.

Nicolas Kuehn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Kuhn was evidently one of the stars of last season so we will certainly miss him. My worry is that we have already signed his direct replacement in Nygren, although it looks like we will certainly be bringing in another winger who can perhaps cover either wing as we will be missing Jota for much of the season also. Personally I really like the look of Sondre Orjasaeter but Michel-Ange Balikwisha looks cheaper, hence more likely. Either way losing Kuhn definitely reduces the overall quality of the squad.

Greg Taylor. Photo PAOK

We have also lost Greg Taylor on a free.

Celtic tried to get the Scottish international to sign a new contract but unfortunately he didn’t fancy playing second fiddle the rest of his career to Kieran Tierney and I have absolutely no problem with that and hope he goes on to have a hugely successful career.

He gave everything for us and was a vital player for the squad these last few years and will be a huge miss. He still needs replaced as I think Inamura is more one for the future. Whoever we get I doubt he will be of the standard of Greg but with Tierney directly replacing him as number one choice left back we can’t say it has weakened us any, as long as we get a decent back up for Kieran.

Maik Nawrocki trägt ab sofort das 96-Trikot. (Foto: 96/Redaktion)

We have also let Maik Nawrocki head out on loan to Hannover, something I have discussed in the previous article. He was, or should have been anyway, the main backup option to Cameron Carter-Vickers at Right Centre back. He certainly needs replaced, and with CCV known to pick up injuries now and again it’s important that the player we bring in is a decent standard.

The names I have seen linked with us in that position have left me feeling rather deflated. In looking into Justin de Haas, Étienne Youte-Kinkoué and Scott McKenna none actually seems to fully fit the mould in what Brendan Rodgers wants from his Centre backs. Getting a good replacement for Nawrocki is vital, and let’s make sure he’s one that Brendan likes eh?

Braga fans, getting an autograph from the new transfer Gustaf Lagerbielke

Gustaf Lagerbielke has also recently departed and to be honest this won’t affect the squad too much as he’s never been a mainstay and spent last season out on loan. Getting over £2m for the Swede was probably good business, he’s probably worth more but he was never going to prove that in a Celtic top.

All in all things haven’t really taken off so far. Losing Kuhn is the big one, although I think we will definitely miss Greg Taylor also. Bringing back Kieran Tierney is obviously the marquee signing so far and I’m also impressed by the capture of Nygren while the likes of Osmand, Inamura and Doohan look like sensible future planning.

These signings won’t be what makes or breaks this window however, they are still to be made, and that’s what I will be looking at in my next article. I’ll also look at what definitely mustn’t happen if this Celtic squad is to emerge stronger at the end of the summer than when we entered it.

Conall McGinty

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