Martin O'Neill raced out of his Aberdeen post-match press conference in a bid to complete more transfer deals on a wild European deadline day. The Celtic boss had already landed Chelsea duo Shim Mhueka and Landon Emenalo, keeper Sam Johnstone on loan for the season, and midfield prospect Joel van den Berg in a £3.4m move from PSV.
But O'Neill legged it out of his press briefing as he faced a race against the clock to complete deals for Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitas and Feyenoord full back Jordan Lotomba. Celtic also snapped up Oliver Sorensen on loan from Parma to make it five in the door in 24 hours – with another couple potentially on the way before the Scottish transfer window closes on Thursday at 5pm.
O'Neill's frantic deadline dash
O'Neill said: "I'm very pleased that they're in the door. I think that they'll definitely add something to us. Hopefully it turns out in our favour, whoever knows, we don't know."
"We're looking at another 15, they're just outside the door at this minute, they're waiting to come in at quarter past 10! They're actually in the turnstile, some of them. I'm delighted with that and we'll see what develops over the next six and a half minutes…."
Squad bolsters after 3-0 win
O'Neill was thrilled with his Celts as they stuffed Aberdeen 3-0 but even more delighted to bolster his squad. He could add more even if they don't make the Europa League squad – like some of his loan arrivals in January.
O'Neill said: "One has to be confident, one has to be. Honestly I am pleased, the transfer window is there and I'm pleased that we have done what we have because there's quite a few who have left the football club. Reo Hatate and Johnny Kenny have gone, I wish them all the best, and so we need people in."
"Even if they miss the European deadline, if there is a possibility of getting someone else in, I would definitely want to do that if we can. When I came in in January I ended up promising one of the players that we brought in to the squad and then I had to tell him he couldn't be registered and he nearly took the bus home."
"I had to tell him that I hadn't realised, because there's only X number you can do, you've got your Scottish contingent, then you've got a few changes that you can make. Honestly, I just didn't know that. And really sometimes the people who are signed to the football club, who belong to the football club permanently, maybe they deserve first shot."
Debuts and decisive goals
O'Neill handed Sorensen and Mhueka debuts from the bench against the Dons but the job was done by half-time. Devastating Camilo Duran slammed in a stunning opener before Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun finished off the Reds before halftime.
O'Neill said: "We played very well with some really good goals, Camilo's a star player and I've got to get out of here because we've got a transfer deadline, a European deadline. Thank you very much. Camilo set the tone for us, I think perhaps maybe all season he's done that."
"He's a really class player. He scored a great goal and obviously until you get that goal you just have to be on your guard as much as anything else. I thought probably the big moment of the game was them hitting the bar with the header from the corner kick. If that had gone in, it could have been 2-1 but we go down the field and make it 3. It seemed pretty comfortable at the end and we played some really good stuff as well too, so I'm delighted with that."
