Martin O'Neill has revealed that he believed a deal to re-sign Kelechi Iheanacho was in place, only for the striker to increase his wage demands, ultimately leading to the collapse of the transfer. Iheanacho has since joined Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor after Celtic allowed a one-year extension option to expire.
O'Neill's Account of the Failed Transfer
Speaking after Celtic's 1-1 friendly draw with Middlesbrough at Parkhead, O'Neill explained that the Nigerian forward's demands for up to £50,000 per week were too high. "There are always two sides to every transfer. He's gone, I thought we had a deal with him at the time but that wasn't the case and so he's gone to pastures new," O'Neill said.
He added: "The option ran out, that's fine. But the option would be to take someone on similar terms to before, so that's where the difference was. Kelechi did terrifically well for us as an impact player coming on. He started one game in my two spells against Dundee United but it would have been nice to have him for pre-season. He's chosen to go elsewhere."
Saracchi Loan Move Also Fails
Celtic also missed out on a return for former loan defender Marcelo Saracchi. The Uruguayan left-back, now at Boca Juniors, was keen on another loan stint, but the Argentine club wanted a permanent transfer. Celtic were hesitant to offer a long-term contract to a player with a patchy fitness record, and the deal fell through.
O'Neill commented: "Again there are two sides to every story. Jokingly I said after he made the goal against Hearts I'd give him a 26-year deal, which was an exaggeration. It's happened, players have gone. I think he's done really well at the club and there were circumstances which seemingly meant it was never going to happen."
McGregor Future Uncertain
O'Neill has yet to hold talks with Callum McGregor, with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou reportedly considering a bid to take the midfielder to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. However, O'Neill remains confident that Celtic are making progress in the transfer market despite growing fan frustration over a lack of activity.
"There has been progress. No timeframe. There's no point saying Monday if they come in on Wednesday instead. But what you don't want to do, as we just found out in one where we thought we had a deal with Iheanacho and it didn't go, we actually thought it was something we'd sort out. I don't want to say something is absolute until it's absolutely done but progress is definitely being made," O'Neill said.
Friendly Draw and Fan Discontent
New signing Camilo Duran scored the equaliser in the 1-1 friendly draw against Middlesbrough, played in front of a sparse crowd as many angry fans stayed away. O'Neill focused on fitness improvements: "For us improvement in fitness as much as anything else. I was pleased with some aspects, sometimes in possession we did really well but without the ball we could do better."
