Celtic’s winter transfer business left something to be desired. It said it all that the Hoops felt the need to bring in a free transfer post-deadline, welcoming Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Parkhead.
While few will turn their noses up at someone who’s won the Champions League and Premier League, those at Paradise are rightfully sceptical about whether they’ve brought in the right players.That said, they have ticked off the most necessary box; signing a new striker. In fact, they ended up with two, Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu. Both have enjoyed fine starts to life at Celtic.
Cvancara picked up an assist on debut and then scored his first goal in the famous green and white during the 2-0 win over Falkirk. Adamu’s entrance was a little more dramatic than that.Talk about making a good first impression. Deep into injury, the Celts were on the verge of exiting the Scottish Cup but up popped Adamu. The audacity of his finish was remarkable.
These guys have families, Junior. The deadline day addition did not care one jot about that, sticking out his left leg and clipping the ball into the far corner.Bolstering the no.9 position will no doubt help as Martin O’Neill’s men chase down the Premiership title but he could have done with a new winger too.
Celtic’s problems on the wing
Considering O’Neill didn’t return to Celtic again until 6th January, it’s perhaps understandable that transfer plans were thrown up in the air.
In the end, they managed to get two strikers through the door and a winger, but more on him later. It’s safe to say the wide areas have been something of a problem in 2025/26.Long gone are the days of Nicolas Kuhn and the injury-stricken Jota tearing things up on the flanks. Long gone, too, is Daizen Maeda’s form.After hammering home 33 goals last season, he has just eight goals to show for his efforts in 35 matches this term, a far cry from the output you’d expect from the Japanese. Elsewhere, it’s not much better for those in Celtic’s powderpuff attack, particularly out wide.
No matter how many years go by, Celtic still feel as though they have to rely on James Forrest, but he has just one goal in 2025/26. Elsewhere, Saturday’s hero Sebastian Tounekti has just four goals to his name, while Hyun-jun Yang has six goals in all competitions.One player doesn’t even make the list of goalscorers above, Michel-Ange Balikwisha. While Tounekti came up trumps last weekend, both he and Balikwisha have left a lot to be desired since moving last summer.As a result, alternatives were sought in the winter but they were unable to get their hands on two key targets. Celtic reportedly held talks to sign Frosinone wide man Fares Ghedjemis and Dunajska Streda’s Damir Redzic but were left to get a last-minute move over the line on deadline day instead.
That decision, however, looks a peculiar one.
Celtic’s new Luis Palma
Celtic’s recruitment policy in recent seasons has been questionable. While they have signed some exceptional talent, selling them on for profit, there have been some notable duds.It’s still early days, but the addition of Joel Mvuka looks like a strange one. Celtic felt they needed something and in the form of the 23-year-old Norwegian, they got their man, even if the player’s medical nearly threw the move into doubt.Mvuka signed from Lorient on an initial loan deal, but the Celts have an option to make it a permanent move in the summer. That said, questions were raised even before he signed and those concerns are still there. It would be a surprise if he was back next season.
Indeed, while the Hoops were in the middle of formalising a deal for the winger, European football writer and expert Robin Bairner described it as a “weird move”.Bairner was particularly scathing of the deal, saying: “Mvuka is a mediocre Ligue 1 player, so unless Celtic work miracles on him, he’s not going to elevate the level of the squad significantly. Smacks of the Celtic board feeling they’re better doing something rather than nothing, rather than actually making a smart move.”It’s difficult to really disagree with that assessment in all honesty and it looks as though Celtic may have another Luis Palma or Balikwisha situation on their hands here.