MARTIN O’NEILL has opened up on Celtic’s failure to sign either Kelechi Iheanacho or Marcelo Saracchi.
The Hoops boss, speaking after the side’s 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough in the friendly at Parkhead yesterday, had earlier gone on record as stating he would welcome back the Nigerian striker and the Uruguayan left-back.
Both made huge contributions to the team in the remarkable league and Cup-winning campaign with Iheanacho netting nine crucial goals and Saracchi making 27 appearances as back-up to Kieran Tierney.
LAST HURRAH…Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates his final appearance for Celtic as he holds aloft the Scottish Cup after the 3-1 triumph over Dunfermline at Hampen on May 23.
Speculation of a return for the former Manchester City and Leicester City frontman, who had joined a free agent following his early release by Sevilla in September, finally ended on Thursday when he signed a three-year deal, reputed to be worth £47,000-per-week, at Turkish outfit Bursaspor.
Shortly afterwards, Saracchi took to Instagram to tell Celtic fans he was “gutted” he would not be coming back to the club, despite his best efforts of those of his representatives.
Asked about Iheanacho, O’Neill said: “Well there are always two sides to every particular transfer, there is to every story.
“He’s gone. I thought that we had a deal with him at the time, but seemingly that wasn’t the case and so he’s gone to pastures new, so there we go.”
On Saracchi, the 74-year-old Irishman, speaking to Sky Sports, continued: “Again, two sides to every story.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Martin O’Neill hails Marcelo Saracchi after Celtic’s Premiership title-winning 3-1 victory over Hearts at Parkhead on May 16.
“In disappointment, I thought that I jokingly said after he made the goal against Hearts that I would give him a 26-year deal. I think that might have been a slight exaggeration, but it’s happened, players have gone.
“What I would say about Saracchi, I think he’s done really well at the football club and I think there were just circumstances in which it seemingly was never going to happen.”
Quizzed about clauses in Iheanacho’s original deal that weren’t triggered, O’Neill answered: “Well, I think the option ran out, that’s fine, but the option would be to take someone, I assume, on similar terms as before.
“That is probably the difference, really. I thought he did terrifically well for us as a real impact player coming on.
“In my two spells here, he actually started one game for us, which was at Dundee United, but he was definitely where I would have thought it would be nice to have had him for pre-season, so that you maybe can garner a lot of fitness for him.
“But he’s chosen to go elsewhere, that’s fine, you’d have to ask him.”
🗣️ “Two sides to every story…”
🗣️ “We are making some progress…”Martin O’Neill on Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi not returning to Celtic, plus the progress on new summer signings ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/tuKkKpunpK
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) July 18, 2026
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