On Sunday we saw the value of our two January signings: Julian Araujo won Man of the Match, while Tomas Cvancara scored the opening goal. Time will tell if February’s three additions will prove as effective.
Junior Adamu (24) is primarily a striker but plays across the front line. Like Tomas, he joins from the Bundesliga, where has two and a half years with Freiburg. Junior’s first season at Freiburg was spent largely as a substitute, but he became starting striker in season 2024-25. That status ended in November 2024 when he was red carded for violent conduct at Dortmund and received a three match ban. The player never recovered his regular starting spot after that setback until April.
Celtic have an option to buy the Nigeria-born Austria international. 10 goals in his breakthrough season in Austria with Salzburg got him the move to Germany. He has played a lot of football for a 24-year-old, so should be ready for the challenge of the Scottish Premiership.
Norwegian Joel Mvuka (22) had an anxious wait before his move to Celtic was confirmed late last night after issues with his medical. Consequentially, the deal was downgraded from a permanent transfer to a loan with an option to buy. You have probably seen him before, he made substitute appearances in both Europa League games against Celtic in 2022
After spending 18 months at Bodo/Glimt, he earned a move to Lorient, where he has mostly been used in right-midfield. I’m told he has pace to burn and will get up and down the right side to support attacking and defensive play.
Benjamin Arthur (20) arrived on loan from Brentford, allowing Stephen Welsh to return to Motherwell until the end of the season. Brentford have high hopes for the player, so there was no chance of an option to buy.
The others going out the door were Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who managed to convince three managers he had no interest in being at Celtic. Life tip: recruit attitude before talent. Johnny Kenny leaves for Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season. Johnny endured a torrid run of form after such a promising display in the League Cup semi-final in November. You get the feeling his chance at Celtic has passed.
My big worry of yesterday was when Nottingham Forest bid £25m for Arne Engels. That figure has been Celtic’s ceiling, so any bid of that size would have caused serious thought, but with the title race so tight, it would have been too risky to sell a first-team player.
Under a different manager, Arne regularly started on the bench early in the season. The speed with which he went from being out of the team to being subject to a Celtic-record bid is fascinating.
The old mantra, we hope to leave the transfer window stronger than we went into it, was surely met. The squad lost fringe players and, even before yesterday, added significant value in Tomas Cvancara and Juian Araujo.
With Tomas, Junior Adamu and the return of Kelechi Iheanacho, Martin O’Neill has significant options for the striker role, which should allow Daizen Maeda to setting into the wide position. We are also hopeful of seeing Callum Osmand next month.
Kieran Tierney looks to have regained full fitness, while Marcelo Saracchi is back training and will be available for selection this month. Alistair Johnston is still some way from returning, but Araujo is a productive deputy, with Colby Donovan and Anthony Ralston as backup.
Auston Trusty and Liam Scales will be the focus in central defence; it remains to be seen what action Benjamin Arthur sees, or if he figures ahead of Dane Murray.
Martin is not short of options in the middle of the park. McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate, Engels, McCowan and Nygren have been used for the middle three positions. I expect might see Joel Mvuka in a deeper role – more like McCowan’s position than Yang’s.
Will it be enough? I would mistrust anyone confident either way on that question. With the two new signings we have seen, and the return to fitness of several absentees, in addition to yesterday’s business, we can at least be hopeful. One month in the roles, Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have played their cards. It will be a fascinating end to the season.
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January, sick and tired of you hanging on me
Bournesouprecipe @ 11:38 am,
The evisceration of BR did seem a load of cobblers at the time, certainly lots of inaccuracies in the hissy~fit…
Now Brendan of Aradia
Shipping out the Honda Civics
Wilfried Nancy & Co
MO’N saying the squad wasn’t fit for purpose
MO’N going off~piste and getting players in their mid-twenties who are; technically good, strong personalities, experienced, aggressive, good physicality, pace….
MO’N now saying players can’t go, we need to replace them first.
It seems it was all rather unnecessary:))
Hail Hail
i dont believe celtic were going to receive 25 million quid for engels.
the full deal cost to forest may or may not have been worth something like that eg wages, agents fees etc
but my guess is that our share would have been considerably less than that.
Always a little dig at Brendan Rodgers…” under a different manager Arne regularly started on the bench early in the season “..
And of course now he is worth 25 million (all because that dastardly cad Rodgers has left the building).
Let’s not forget it was Rodgers who “wasted” 11 million on “the dud” in the first place
i also dont get the ‘fans are divided’ nonsense about engels.
if we didnt have a worthy replacement lined up (which we didnt, and that is the main issue) then i think there are virtually no fans would have sold him given our current predicament.
if we were out of europe and 30 points ahead in the league then some might consider it a good idea, but we arent
I re-watched the Bologna game again tonight and while it was a dogged (tho’ not in a Collymore way) win, we were untidy even before Reo’s immature brain fart. But I’m sorry to say I’ve done a dis-service to Daizen in thinking he’s checked out. For me, he Liam, Auston, KT and Kasper were heroic.
Sadly, two weak shirts were Reo (couldn’t tackle a sushi supper) and Colby who has great energy but falls short at this level. Mibby needs a loan somewhere to beef up, mark tight and learn how to do more than pass backward. For me, Tony R is a more mature and physical defender – tho a bit short of his best as we saw it under Ange. Yang has reverted to pre-Wilf Yang and Arne did not look like a 25mill asset.
I don’t mean to be retrogressively negative but seeing Johnny K and Tony R come on as subs showed how depleted (poor recruitment and bad injuries) we currently are.
An admirable back-to-the-wall draw but via Reo’s indolence we quickly surrendered any chance of the 3 points.
I’m hoping the videotapes MON and Shaun watched of our new hires will address our scoring threat.
Bookies aren’t daft.
Our latest signings have by far been of a much better quality than any other team has brought in.
We have players coming back who will improve the squad.
We now have a football manager who knows what’s required to win a league.
Here we go 5 in a row!
por cierto
Huddle,
Every transfer,or only the Engels one?.
What is the Starz @ 12:10 pm,
Very true:)))
Forgot to mention Arne played more games in 2024/25 season than any other season in his career.
Hail Hail
Dagbert Despot named in the Epstein Files?
Aidez mon Robert!
McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate, Engels, McCowan and Nygren…….and that is where we are weakest
Really excited about the rest of the season.
A win tomorrow night against a fortified dons at the pen is vital.
Achieve that and we really are set up for a strong final 17 (hopefully) domestic games and hopefully a few more European ties.
Welcome to the first day of the rest of the season. I think we can be very confident IF:
1. the 3 guys signed last night are better than what we have or at least make meaningful contributions every week.
2. MON can get Daizen’s mojo back.
3. MON can craft a more solid midfield out of Bernardo, Engels, Hatate and McCowan.
In MON we trust.
In the meantime, for one night only, we are all Chic Young.
MON The Buddies.
POR CIERTO on 3RD FEBRUARY 2026 12:14 PM
Bookies aren’t daft.
——
While I don’t disagree , our odds of winning the league, according to Oddschecker , have not changed since the last round of games at the weekend, notwithstanding the signings yesterday.
Not sure what to read into that – we remain favourites though, albeit by the slenderest of margins from Hearts.
Oops, I forgot our top scorer Nygren!
we have never not been bookies favourites to win the league this season regardless of results, signings etc
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 3RD FEBRUARY 2026 12:23 PM
“In the meantime, for one night only, we are all Chic Young.
MON The Buddies.”
Nice one – who doesn’t like a wee bit of sarcasm from time to time..!
;-)
Huddle,
Every transfer,or only the Engels one?.
—
which of my posts are you referring to?
” Tim Malone Will Tell on 3rd February 2026 12:01 pm
I really love these imaginary conversations that people post – …
Fact is that none of us know what goes on in transfer windows so it is the ultimate in uninformed speculation.”
I meant to add:
” I agree. ”
:-)))
A puff piece for the Board if ever there was one. Loanee punts in January is disgraceful. SACK THE INCOMPETENT BOARD!!!
Paul,dont be thinking you are alone.Help is out there.This Brendan in your head syndrome is not uncommon.Burnley,The Blogger,and a few more ,have all,regularly ,manifested this mental abberation.
The bl9g is like pub conversations put onto paper.
Lots of differing opinion, everyone thinking there’s is the correct one.
HH.
Greenpinata
Eh… if that’s the case, it’s your round 😂
The Long Wait Is Over, if both Celtic and rangers beat Hearts 2-0 at home, with both also winning 2-0 as the other beats Hearts, then all three teams will be level on points. In this scenario Celtic and hearts will also have identical GD and goals for & against, with rangers also having the same GD, but in third place on goals scored.
It might just be closer than some realise, with the remaining rangers v Celtic and Hearts v rangers games potentially determining the destination of the title. Of course, all three are capable of, and likely to, drop points elsewhere, with Celtic’s 9 games in 29 days through to March 1st probably being less than ideal!
😂😂😂
Martin O’Neill on TalkSport right now, stating in answer to Jim White re offers for Arnie Engels, that “The Board turned it down”. and that even after the Falkirk game he had not heard of any bids for Arnie at that point.
Bigchipsuk
I think Motherwell will have a say in things. Also potentially Hibs and Falkirk.
Huns and Hearts go to Falkirk pre split.
For me after this round of games we clearly have a couple of easier ones v Livi and Killie as Huns play at Motherwell and host the Jambos. Hearts host Hibs and go to Ibrox.
A win tomorrow and we will set ourselves up nicely.
Tyrone
Maybe you are on wrong blog ?
BIGCHIPSUK on 3RD FEBRUARY 2026 12:39 PM
Agreed.
Hearts also have Hibs to worry about, as do, we and Rangers , of course but how desperate will Hibs be to stop Hearts winning a title.
While I agree that the games between the three contenders will be crucial , perhaps even definitive , the games against the other teams , especially after the split could trip any of the 3 up, especially against Motherwell who terrified me and terrorised us.
We’re going to need at least a 1986 level of run in for the final games.
Getting ahead of myself here and would take absolutely any route that gets us to winning the league , of course , but how funny would it be if Love street 1986 was repeated?
Huddle,
Your post saying that the fee for Engels probably included ,wages,agents fees,etc,that we probably would not end up with anything like that.
Like a lot of posts,I really do find disgraceful,not this one so much,the ones from Celtic fans,ridiculing everything about the transfer.The stupidity of Forest,how bad Engels is,WTF are they thinking,etc.Thought we left that shit to our enemies,like Boyd.
Even your post reeks of disbelief at the fee.
When did we start publicly mocking our own players.When did we ever talk this kind of shit.?
Disgusted,and very angry,more at our support than anything else.
Ray Winstone’s BDH at 12.17
Aidez mon Robert?
Can I suggest “au secours, mon Robert” as an alternative?
Parlayvoo.CSC
Anyone else have problems logging in? I often log in then find I’m logged out immediately.
Fozzy on the free agents list 👍
Happy St Blaise Day! Ave Ave
Petition:
One Celtic. Back our Board, Manager, and Players.
https://c.org/nngJCmRNcC
Hot Smoked @ 12:29 pm,
” Tim Malone Will Tell on 3rd February 2026 12:01 pm,
We have a huge insight into what Martin and Shaun thought the discussions were “wrt transfers”
So, please stop obfuscating as is the groupies wont.
Arne staying although the Board would want to sell him and the “football dept” wanted to keep him is not a work of fiction.
Once Arne was “in play” some suitable back fills should have been quickly identified and bidded for.
So we know by omission how incompetent Celtic PLC’s recruitment strategy is.
Compare this with Heart’s signing of Rogets Mato…
A difficult signing secured, no doubts backed up with state of the art analytics.
Where is Celtic’s state of the art analytics we hear so much about?
Stop blowing smoke up the Celtic supporter’s a$$…
We are not stupid
We can recognise a poor recruitment strategy when we see it.
Hail Hail
The January transfer window following the comedy of errors, that sees MON attempting to win a league title ‘the board’ has tried to give away more than once this season, of four managerial spells. The 33 day one doesn’t even bear thinking about. Only six of the last sixteen arrivals at the club were permanent signings and two of them are back out on loan? The source leagues of the 5 loan players are the only encouraging factor EPLx2 Bundesliga x2 Ligue 1, two players with buy options
Dysfunctional recruitment and the last thing we needed was deadline day mad spend, look what happened the last time? You only need to go to a game in Parkhead to sample the ‘ atmosphere ‘ which can only get better.
Nobody sells their best players in January, but will Celtic ever get a similar offer for Arne Engels? – only time will tell and puts the player straight into the summer shop window. No replacement in time for Kuhn, no replacement for Maeda, no replacement Kyogo, no replacement for Engels?
ZIGGYDOC1 on 3RD FEBRUARY 2026 12:52 PM
Anyone else have problems logging in? I often log in then find I’m logged out immediately.
——-
I find using Safari to login fraught with issues and loads of Ads.
Someone else on here advised using Brave as the browser to login through – works a treat
Link here :-
https://brave.com/