Celtic once again find themselves kicking their heels after another frustrating transfer window. The initial promise of quality over quantity was quickly abandoned for a familiar scattergun approach in the final days, as the Hoops licked their wounds from another self-inflicted £40million Champions League exit.
From January misses to summer heartbreak, a string of players identified by Martin O’Neill ended up elsewhere after deals slipped through Celtic’s fingers. Record Sport looks at the players O’Neill wanted, the deals that got away and what has happened to them since.
Fares Ghedjemis and Damir Redzic
O’Neill thought he was on the verge of landing Algerian winger Ghedjemis in January, only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour. Celtic came banging on the door again in the summer, with rivals Rangers also linked, but newly-promoted Frosinone played hardball, slapping an eye-watering £18m price tag on his head. Ghedjemis, crowned Serie B’s Player of the Season after netting 15 goals, recently admitted he wanted to leave the Italian side in search of a new challenge. But the 24-year-old remains a key player for the high-flying Serie A newcomers, who sit sixth after five games. Ghedjemis has featured three times so far without registering a goal or assist.
Hungarian winger Redzic was another name high on O’Neill’s January wishlist. But he opted to join RB Salzburg despite Celtic making the higher offer. Redzic completed a £4m switch to the Austrian moneybags after making it clear he wanted to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai, who made a blockbuster move to Liverpool from the Red Bull stable. The 23-year-old still has a long way to go to reach those dizzying heights, though, with just three goals and two assists to his name since arriving in Austria.
Gvidas Gineitis and Ermin Mahmic
Hoops gaffer O’Neill was left reeling after Celtic’s botched attempt to land Gineitis, viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Arne Engels. The Lithuania international, 22, was among Celtic’s top targets to fill the No.6 role after Engels sealed a £22m switch to West Ham. But the Celts couldn’t thrash out a fee with Torino for the towering midfielder, leaving O’Neill to settle for on-loan Parma misfit Oliver Sorensen. Gineitis was keen on a move to Parkhead and has left the door open, saying: “It would be an interesting and good experience, it’s interesting to test myself at such a level, at such a club. But now I’m where I am.” The defensive midfield general was hooked at half-time against Roma before finding himself an unused substitute the following week, just days before the international break.
Celtic were in advanced talks with Slovan Liberec over a swoop for highly-rated playmaker Mahmic. But after their Champions League capitulation in Linz, the Bosnian World Cup breakout star signed for Turkish outfit Corum instead. And attacking midfielder Mahmic, 20, has made a blistering start, producing two goals and an assist in just four games.
Niko Sigur and Greg Taylor
It’s understood Sigur had his heart set on a summer move to the Scottish champions after being put on O’Neill’s radar. The versatile Canada World Cup star, who can play in midfield or at right-back, wanted to join international team-mate Alistair Johnston in Glasgow. Transfer discussions, though, failed to progress with Hajduk Split and Sigur ended up joining Jens Berthel Askou’s Toulouse in the final days of the window. It’s still early days for the Canadian, though, who has featured twice for the Ligue 1 club.
Former title-winner Taylor was one of several names Celtic considered during their prolonged search for left-back cover. Taylor, who amassed 11 major trophies during his time at Parkhead, was keen on rejoining the club after a frustrating year in Greece. An official offer was never tabled, though, and Taylor remains on the fringes of the PAOK team, making eight appearances so far.
Balazs Toth, Emam Ashour, and Will Ferry
Blackburn Rovers keeper Balazs Toth was initially identified as a possible successor to retired Kasper Schmeichel. The Hungary international is in the final year of his contract at Ewood Park and had been flagged to Celtic by Hoops goalie coach Stevie Woods. Rovers demanded £4m for their No.1 and that figure scared off the Hoops, who instead signed Sam Johnstone on loan from Wolves. Boss Tony Mowbray remains hopeful of convincing Toth, 29, to extend his contract and has continued to back the goalkeeper, who has shipped nine goals in six games this term.
Egyptian international Ashour was heavily linked with a move to Celtic, with Brighton, West Ham and Derby County among the clubs to have scouted him. The dynamic box-to-box midfielder, 28, caught the eye at the World Cup, scoring against Belgium and Australia. It was claimed Celtic chiefs contacted Ashour’s representatives to discuss the terms of a possible transfer, with Al Ahly seeking £4million. Ashour has recently returned from injury and has made two appearances for the Egyptian heavyweights so far.
Dundee United star Ferry emerged as one of the Premiership’s top left-backs and was scouted by Celtic last season. Ferry, a standout at Tannadice since joining from Cheltenham Town in 2024, rejected a £1.7m move to Czech side Sigma Olomouc in the summer. The Republic of Ireland cap also attracted serious interest from Belgian giants Anderlecht and was placed on a list of left-back options by Celtic. The 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and had been widely expected to leave Tayside, but remains on the books. He excelled in this season’s curtain-raiser against Rangers and also netted a beauty in a 4-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock.
Marcelo Saracchi and Kelechi Iheanacho
O’Neill made no secret of the fact he wanted to re-sign Saracchi on a permanent deal from Boca Juniors. The little Uruguayan became a cult hero during his season-long loan stint and played a crucial role in Celtic’s remarkable title comeback. Saracchi was desperate to clinch a return to Glasgow and, despite being available for just £1.5m, Hoops chiefs opted to go down a different route. He later moved to MLS outfit Houston Dynamo and has made three appearances so far after a brief injury setback.
Title saviour Iheanacho was another player O’Neill wanted to re-sign. However, Celtic gambled by allowing the hitman’s one-year extension clause to expire before attempting to renegotiate his package. That opened the door for Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor to pounce, with the club turning Iheanacho’s head with a more lucrative salary. And the Nigerian has been a revelation, scoring in all eight games, with 11 goals and two assists for the table-toppers. How Celtic could have done with his goals now.
