It is fair to say that the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership campaign became a largely unexpected rollercoaster of a year for loyal Celtic fans. Even though the league campaign has now come to an end and Scottish supporters are turning their attentions to the summer World Cup tournament out in Canada, the United States of America and Mexico, the doors at Parkhead are not shut yet and there are a plethora of decisions still to be taken – not least concerning the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Having lifted yet another league title on a thrilling final day to add to the earlier League Cup, legendary manager Martin O’Neill will be hoping to end his second caretaker spell back with us by adding the Scottish Cup treble to his remarkable return and fans using the LiveScore Bet App who felt he would again work his magic will already be pretty happy with how the season has gone. Whilst he and his first team charges will be focused squarely on that, the board will be hoping to get their own decisions right once again and as we look forward to next season, and 32 year old and 35 capped England international winger, AOC, will be looking for a decision on his own contract.
Back in the New Year transfer window as O’Neill was looking to significantly strengthen his own available options to get our season back on track, Oxlade-Chamberlain was brought in and handed a short term six month contract with an option agreed to extend it for a further 12 months if his spell at Celtic Park proved to be a success. It has not been a bad short term spell in reality, with one game left to play in the wider campaign he has already made five starting appearances, with six showings from the substitutes bench and he chipped in with two goals in our victories over Livingston (his debut) and St Mirren.
However, he has not featured for the gaffer since the pre split tie with Falkirk in late April, remaining on the bench for all the league matches since, so for understandable reasons his longer term future at the club is now more in doubt and a greater topic of discussion.
It is fair to say that his ongoing fitness issues had seen him playing catch up anyway and that may, or may not, have played some part in the more recent lack of game time. Whatever the truth may be there, as well as potentially managing a knock but having him as a late in the game option if absolutely required, there is a high likelihood that he will remain with us during the summer. It makes perfect sense for him to return for the pre season warm up period where we can take the opportunity to thoroughly reassess his fitness and sharpness levels, ahead of making a final decision on what to do about the option we hold on him.
Of course, the added benefit of doing it this way means that with our ongoing permanent managerial search still to reach a conclusion of its own, when our new man takes his place in the dug out he will be able to make his own mind up on what AOC can offer him next term as well.
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