O’NEILL ON OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN

MARTIN O’NEILL brought in four of the five Celtic loan recruitments during a frantic January transfer window.

The interim manager had made it clear his squad urgently required strengthening ahead of the rigours of the second part of a topsy-turvy campaign.

Brendan Rodgers, of course, had been in charge of the summer window where, among others, wingers Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha were brought in for a joint fee of £9.7million.

French flop Wilfried Nancy agreed a short-term loan deal for Bournemouth’s Mexico international right-back Julian Araujo before his calamitous 33 days in Glasgow ended swiftly following six defeats in eight games – the worst record of any Hoops gaffer.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK…Martin O’Neill chats with Chris Sutton.

O’Neill brought in three players on deadline day – winger Joel Mvuka, striker Junior Adamu and centre-back Benjamin Arthur – to join frontman Tomas Cvancara had joined earlier.

The Czech Republic attack-leader has already made his mark by setting up the second goal for Yang Hyun-jun in the 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle on his debut and scoring the opening goal in the 2-0 win over Falkirk at Parkhead at the weekend.

O’Neill, speaking to former striker Chris Sutton in a Sky Sports exclusive, admitted the champions had been in negotiations with free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the former Arsenal, Liverpool and England international midfielder who quit Besiktas in August.

The Irishman said: “At 32, I was astonished that he hadn’t been picked off.

“I know he was talking about his difficulties out in Turkey, but someone of that sort of experience would be great.

“It may still happen, because he’s out of contract, but he will have a number of options, probably closer to home.

“But if that materialised, that would give us something.”