Celtic captain Callum McGregor has decisively quashed mounting speculation about a potential summer transfer to Saudi Arabia, instead declaring his unwavering commitment to the Scottish champions. The influential midfielder, who turns 33 in June, has been strongly linked with a lucrative reunion with former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers at Al Qadsiah.
McGregor's Firm Commitment to Celtic
Addressing the transfer rumours for the first time publicly, McGregor left no room for ambiguity about his immediate future. When directly questioned about the possibility of moving to Saudi Arabia, he responded with a definitive: 'No, no, I'm here.' This clear statement effectively ends months of conjecture about his next career move.
Driven by Celtic's Title Challenge
Pressed further about how Celtic's current position in the Scottish Premiership title race influences his thinking, McGregor revealed it has only strengthened his resolve. 'Even more determined. Even more,' he stated emphatically. 'Because of what's happened. We've had a difficult spell, we're used to winning, then things don't go your way. So, now you have to show everyone that you want to be a winner and you want to stay and you want to fight, and you want to make the club successful. Yeah, that's the message.'
The Celtic skipper acknowledged the team's challenging season, which began under Rodgers before Martin O'Neill returned for a second spell following Wilfried Nancy's brief 33-day tenure. 'It's certainly not been easy,' McGregor admitted. 'When you're so successful and you win so much and then you go through a spell where you're struggling, the team are struggling, then of course it's difficult. Let's not hide away from that. But that's gone now (Nancy's time in charge), so we have to draw a line and move forward.'
Controversial Draw at Tynecastle
McGregor's comments follow Celtic's hard-fought 1-1 draw against league leaders Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday. The match proved to be a fiery encounter, with McGregor himself becoming heated in exchanges with Hearts players during a physically demanding contest.
The game took a dramatic turn when Hearts defender Auston Trusty had his initial yellow card for pulling down Pierre Landry Kabore upgraded to a red following a VAR intervention. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed frustration that VAR official John Beaton intervened when his side was already under pressure.
Questioning VAR Decisions
With Claudio Braga scoring a late equaliser for Hearts, McGregor questioned whether referee Steven McLean had made what he described as a 'clear and obvious' error in the decision-making process. 'To be honest, it's probably one if he gives a red off the bat, you're probably not too surprised,' the Celtic captain conceded. 'But when he gives the yellow, I think the only question is, is that an obvious enough error to then go to the monitor? I'm not sure. But again, I think if it went either way, you kind of have to accept it. It's one of those grey area ones.'
Despite the controversial circumstances, McGregor acknowledged that securing a point at Tynecastle represented a positive result for Celtic, who remain in contention for both the Scottish Premiership title and the Europa League. His clear commitment to the club's cause provides a significant boost as they enter the crucial final stages of the season.
