Celtic’s board have come under fire from supporter groups after a sluggish summer transfer window, with only Camilo Duran signed so far. The Scottish champions begin their Premiership campaign against Dundee on August 3, and face a Champions League play-off first leg on August 18 or 19.
The Celtic Supporters Association issued a scathing statement blaming majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the executive team for the lack of activity. It noted that nearly 60 days have passed since the title was secured against Hearts, yet only one new player has arrived, while two key members of the title-winning squad have been allowed to leave despite expressing a desire to stay. The statement also pointed to empty seats during Saturday’s pre-season friendly with Middlesbrough as evidence of fan discontent.
The statement criticised chief executive Michael Nicholson for citing agents’ fees, the financial power of English clubs, and even living in Glasgow as reasons for the club’s transfer struggles. It also highlighted the absence of a permanent chairman following Peter Lawwell’s departure, with Brian Wilson in an interim role, and the continued lack of a head of football operations after Paul Tisdale’s dismissal. The group said no lessons had been learned from last season’s “shambolic” handling of affairs, which included a Champions League exit and a near miss in the title race.
The Celtic Trust echoed these concerns, questioning Desmond’s position and highlighting the collapse of deals for Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi. The Trust’s statement said Martin O’Neill had been hopeful of keeping Iheanacho, but the club’s “invisible CEO and CFO” had failed in the market. It described the current preparation as another year without strategic planning, with the season start just over two weeks away.
Both groups expressed deep frustration at the club’s apparent inability to back the manager and squad adequately. The Trust warned that the club appears to be gambling on beating inferior sides to reach the Champions League group stage, rather than building a squad capable of competing on all fronts.
