Celtic captain Callum McGregor is set for crunch talks over his future after manager Martin O'Neill admitted he could be powerless to stop a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old midfielder changed agents in April and warned he could leave unless the club matched his ambitions, sparking intense speculation.
O'Neill's Admission on McGregor's Future
O'Neill, speaking from Celtic's training camp in Portugal, said: "Sometimes those things get lost in translation a little bit. I don't think he meant it as bad as that." However, he added: "I never know about anybody leaving. He hasn't hinted to me he wants to leave at this minute, that would be a bad blow. But sometimes money is a big thing, particularly when you're past 30."
The Hoops boss confirmed he will hold talks with the veteran, who has two years left on his contract, but refused to guarantee the skipper will stay. "If something comes in that is just mind-boggling for him, that becomes a different issue," O'Neill said.
Agent Change Fuels Saudi Speculation
McGregor's switch to the same agency group as former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has fueled talk of a reunion in Saudi Arabia. O'Neill acknowledged the change: "Apparently so, yeah. So I don't know." The midfielder's public warning in April was a deliberate message to the board about transfer market failures, and his words carried weight as one of Scotland's most decorated players.
Celtic Appoint Set-Piece Specialist
Amid the uncertainty, Celtic have secured a backroom coup by luring set-piece expert Ross Grant from Hearts. Grant, who worked with deadball guru Austin MacPhee, helped Hearts top last season's Premiership set-piece scoring charts with 23 goals alongside Rangers. O'Neill said: "I think that Ross has proved himself at Hearts. I want him part of the whole thing."
The manager hopes Grant's expertise will add a new dimension after losing first-team coach Gavin Strachan to West Brom. O'Neill stressed the importance of set-pieces: "My belief is that set-pieces are so, so important defensively and offensively."
O'Neill's Tactical Plans
O'Neill also revealed he wants Celtic to play more direct this season, using the Algarve camp to implement changes. "Little changes here and there. Best opportunity, best time for me to be able to do it is look here, having some time, rather than game after game after game," he said. "Let us see, you never know, by the time the season starts, we might even be slower, so who knows."
