Celtic's Transfer Window Sparks to Life with Duran Signing
Martin O’Neill expects Celtic’s transfer window to finally crackle into life, with Camilo Duran poised to become the first new arrival of the summer.
The 24-year-old, fresh from a standout 2025-26 season with Qarabag, has completed his medical and will join for a fee in the region of £6m. Duran scored five times in the Champions League last term, a return that has clearly convinced Celtic he can add a sharper edge to their European ambitions.
For a support growing restless at the lack of movement, he represents the first tangible sign that the club is ready to act.
O’Neill, though, insists there is far more to come.
“We have a number of players that we're looking at,” he said. “We've had a number of offers in for players as well too at the same time. And I'm hoping in the not-too-distant future, and I mean maybe in the next couple of weeks, that we will have some really decent players at the football club to add to the very decent players we have at the football club.”
The message is clear: the real work is only just beginning.
Oxlade-Chamberlain stays, but questions remain
One piece of business is already done. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has agreed a new one-year deal after initially joining on a short-term contract in January.
The veteran midfielder brought experience and composure to O’Neill’s side in the run-in last season. Keeping him offers continuity in a dressing room that could soon look very different, yet it does little to quieten calls for a broader rebuild before the title defence begins.
Celtic open their Scottish Premiership campaign at home to Dundee on August 3, a Monday night fixture that will close an unprecedented opening weekend in which all six top-flight games are live on Sky Sports. By then, supporters will expect more than just one fresh face and a familiar name re-signed.
Carter-Vickers back from the brink
On the pitch, there was a significant boost in the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne, where both sides scored late penalties. Cameron Carter-Vickers played the first half, his first appearance since October after a ruptured Achilles.
“At first, I just thought I had a bit of cramp in my calf,” the United States international said, recalling the moment he was injured in a Europa League win over Sturm Graz.
“Pretty soon after that, when the physios saw it, they thought it was a rupture in the Achilles, which it turned out to be. Obviously at that point, you know it's going to be a long-term injury.
“For me, it was just about understanding that's the situation you're in and just working towards getting back in the best shape and the best way possible.
“It was just about not getting too far ahead of yourself and kind of chasing small gains and being happy with small gains. I was in a cast for three weeks then a boot for eight.
“You can't really move your foot in any type of direction at first so right at the beginning of the rehab, it was about when I did get a bit of movement back in my foot, it was about taking that as a win and being positive about it and then after that you're chasing the next thing and the next thing.”
His return offers O’Neill a cornerstone in defence as the club attempts to balance domestic demands with the looming Champions League qualifiers.
Sutton’s warning: spend, or risk standing still
The optimism around Duran and Carter-Vickers is tempered by a stark assessment from former striker Chris Sutton, who believes the scale of the task this summer is enormous.
“Martin worked wonders last season. I didn't see Celtic winning the title from the position which he was put in on a couple of occasions,” Sutton told Sky Sports News. “I mean, the run towards the end of the season was extraordinary but I still think you can't get away from the fact there needs to be a lot of change at Celtic in terms of recruitment.”
The late surge to the title masked deeper issues, in Sutton’s view. The Champions League qualifier looms, and he sees a squad that must be reshaped, not just lightly refreshed.
“They've got the Champions League qualifier which is really important and, however exciting it was for Celtic fans to end up getting over the line last season, you can't get away from the fact that Celtic struggled at times throughout the season. Martin will be looking to, I'm sure, bring players in.
“It'll be interesting to see who goes out from Celtic. It looks like Reo Hatate will go, possibly Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels but they're big players for the team. Who are Celtic going to replace those type of players with? Celtic are possibly going to have to spend up to or more than £50m really because the squad does need a rebuild.”
That figure – £50m and possibly more – underlines the scale of expectation. Key players such as Hatate, Maeda and Engels may depart. Replacing that quality, while trying to raise the team’s European ceiling, will define Celtic’s summer.
For now, Duran’s impending arrival and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s new deal mark the first strokes on a much larger canvas. The question is not whether Celtic will act in the market.
It is whether they will do enough, quickly enough, to stay ahead of the pack at home and finally punch their weight abroad.
