Celtic delayed announcing the arrival of Sebastian Tounekti (23) from Hammarby until the moment the transfer window closed. This felt like a tacit acceptance that supporter expectation would not be satisfied if the announcement came earlier in the day, and no others arrived in the evening.
Brendan Rodgers let us know he had a veto on the departure of Adam Idah and would not agree to his move to Swansea until a replacement arrived. You and I could reasonably expect Adam’s move was confirmation a replacement was on his way. We were wrong (and I am not prepared to get enthusiastic about out of contract players).
Let’s look at the substance. Celtic signed 10 players in the summer transfer window, eight on permanent contracts and two defenders on loans. Tounekti was the most expensive at £5.2m. The Norway-born Tunisia international spent only six months at Hammarby, in which time his transfer fee quadrupled. Our fee feels high.
Sebastian joins Michel-Ange Balikwisha (24), who arrived for £5m from Royal Antwerp. Thrown in at the deep end on Sunday, Michel-Ange did well enough for a player who hardly knew anyone on the field.
Our most important signing so far is Benjamin Nygren (23). Benji has already scored three league goals, times runs into the box and shows real purpose defending and on attack. He is clearly not a winger and will hopefully only be seen wide in emergency circumstances, or when we are trying to close a game out.
Kieran Tierney (28) returned to great fanfare. KT is the best player to emerge from the Celtic youth setup in 15 years. His engine allows him to get up and down the field and he is the best crosser at the club (that we know about). He has yet to reach full fitness and will continue to improve as he gets there.
We signed a striker!!! Shin Yamada (25) arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for £1.4m. I expect Shin was recruited as a player we could develop over the season. That plan may now be reconsidered, post Idah departure. Callum Osmand (19) joins the front-line options from Fulham, but we have yet to see him in competitive action.
Left-sided defender Hayato Inamura (23) came in from Albirex Niigata. Last month Brendan Rodgers suggested the player was not ready for Celtic action and may be sent out on loan. Plans change, I suppose. Ross Doohan (27) arrived back at the club to fill the role as third choice goalkeeper.
Two defenders came in on loan: left back Marcelo Saracchi (27), the Uruguayan international, who joins from Boca Juniors, and central defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19), who came in from Manchester City.
Out of the building went Nicolas Kuhn (25) to Como for £15m. This departure so early in the window was inexplicable. Greg Taylor (27) left on a free and is already missed by many in the support.
Braga paid £2.4m for Gus Lagerbielke (25), Rapid Vienna paid £1.2m for Marco Tilio (24), while Ligue 1 side Nantes took Hyeok-kyu Kwon (24) for £200k. The development of Kwon, like Gus and Marco, will be interesting to watch in the season ahead. I’m thinking Oh, but we will discuss that particular player later this week.
As well as the aforementioned Idah (24) leaving for £7m to Swansea, Scott Bain left for Falkirk. Luis Palma (Lech Poznan) and Maik Nawrocki (Hannover 96) went out on loan.
I have seen new Celtic arrivals mistakenly written off too many times to fall into that trap, but we are on safe ground to say this transfer window was poorly conceived and terribly executed (the former resulted in the latter). The possible arrival of an out of contract striker will change this, I would rather we did nothing and develop Shin and Johnny Kenny instead.
Lots to say about the Kasper Dolberg fiasco tomorrow. He encapsulates our poorly conceived window and why we ended up as we did.
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What a window. We came out weaker.
Many blinked then we sneezed and went for Iheanacho.
Grabs popcorn.
OH, YEAH, WEDNESDAY EVE!
BST @ 9:25 am,
🎶And they gave us two wingers and a prayer🎶
An interview with Brendan Rodgers a week or so before the transfer window closed was tantamount to his valedictory. He’s had a few go’s at ‘review’ but being the best Celtic coach we could get, that’s never been title less in Scotland, couldn’t alter the path of the Celtic way.
It was all so predictable, even what’s left of broadsheet coverage got it right weeks ago as did most of Celtic social media, and heavy internet traffic. We also predicted another exit, just got the name wrong and also screwed up in extra time all the way to the whistle, Celtic have had a potentially sea changing summer.
Ange Postecoglu’s fulcrum, running on fumes under Brendan Rodgers, busy winning and fulfilling another MON like heritage on unfinished business, but trapped where they know how to sell for good value, but baulk when they have to buy. The huge majority of supporters wouldn’t hold it against him, if he walked, – he won’t and his players will respond maybe that’s why he’s in the elite category. There’s a guy works on the internet, swears he clueless.
Player targets waved away all summer long unless they fitted the bargain rail, we swooped for former hero Kieran Tierney as a January bosman and returned him in August. Benjamin Nygren another January target the same, for a ‘good value’ price.
A return to the J-League, but this time guess what, we used the middle of Lidl range.
Form since the Munich peak, a creditable draw with Bayern, then P22 W11 D7 L4 you’d swear someone at the club would have cottoned on, that first team money needed spending, players had to be bedded in, Kairat was coming for 18 months, even star players were creaking, by the time we got to the Cup final the team and the support that day, couldn’t be bothered. Only a winning team manager can pull Celtic through ‘sack the board’ waters, that had been bubbling under in some home games, especially where supporters were ‘sacking off’ or walking out early.
Loan players and cheap punts, don’t even fall into the development category if they do it’s not at Celtic, where we turned into a Europa side at the first hint of having to qualify. You can’t take the money out of the same market where you fail to buy, you can’t start transfers in June and complete them in August, you move on.
The Laurel & Hardy window started up needing a new striker, and closed with us needing two. More importantly, a manager demotivated and a disgusted supporter base, that watched on, in disbelief. It’s not a question of who the manager is , it’s the fact that ‘they’ can do this, time and time again, on a question of cost, not competence.
Crack on with your day like Dermot will, to be
sure.”
Brilliant stuff…
This is a huge reality check and people like DD can stick it to our Club without a second thought.
He’ll not give a jot if we win lose or draw, as long as there is good golfing weather.
Hail Hail
Poorly conceived and terribly executed window
Brendan’s fault aye?
Nicholson, Lawell, Desmond – time’s up. Please leave.
Took a look at Iheanacho’s career stats there, only because he’s been mentioned in dispatches.
In the last 5 years, since winning the FA Cup with Leicester, he has scored 15 goals in 101 league appearances across the EPL, Championship and La Liga.
That’s a goal every 6 or 7 games.
No idea how many minutes he’s played in those matches, but I’m not overwhelmed with enthusiasm for this potential signing.
Another post mortem doesn’t lessen the blow. We have down sized from a position of strength. A nervous season awaits.
I met her in a club down in old Soho where they drink champagne and it tastes just like cherrycola
The Banter Years have covered up so many Celtic PLC weaknesses. It cant/wont go on forever.
What is the purpose of Celtic fc in 2025?
To make a few people money? To provide pension pots for already wealthy people?
Winning a league that is almost impossible to lose should never be enough for us.
rangers are not out of this title race by any means and now have players that can score goals. We do not.
We cease to be a relevant and important club anymore. Outside of Scotland we are there for cheap laughs or a nostalgic referral to Lisbon in 1967.
Nicholson should leave immediately but he is not the only person responsible for this utter shambles.
Pointless.
Lots of ‘what’ happened in above article. A little light on the ‘why’ and the ‘who’
Still, a liberal sprinking of Brendan’s name keeps the blame by association going
Even for me who has been expecting very little all along I’d have to say that was bordering on the underwhelming side.
No striker or goalscoring wide player? Hmmm, goals for might just be down a bit this season. Let’s hope Nygren can hit double-figures, maybe even mid-teens.
But given the unhealthy points gap to Across The City FC last season and already this season, and their failure to qualify for the Champions League, I suppose it’s pretty much as good as we should expect by now. When have we ever strengthened from a position of strength? Why would it be any different this time?
Onwards and backwards……
“Comical Ali” was the nickname given by the Western media to Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the Iraqi Information Minister during the 2003 Iraq War.
He became infamous for his daily press briefings in Baghdad, where he would confidently deny U.S. military advances—even when journalists could literally see American tanks behind him. His over-the-top denials and dramatic style made him a cult figure worldwide, leading to the nickname “Comical Ali” (a play on “Chemical Ali,” another Iraqi official, Ali Hassan al-Majid).
“(We) are on safe ground to say this transfer window was poorly conceived and terribly executed.”
Yep. He’s going to blame the manager.
The day this site points the finger where it belongs will be a cold one in Hell.
I’ve been posting here on and off for more than a dozen years. I’ve seen Celtic managers blamed for poor transfer windows before, but what we’ve witnessed in the past three years – two of the worst transfer windows in living memory blamed on a guy who had no real role in any of them – blows my mind.
There’s not even a trace of objectivity in the main articles on this site. It’s preposterous to suggest that what we witnessed this summer is not evidence of serious strategic dysfunction and the over-promotion of the Friends of the Man. These things are so obvious a child could spot them.
Nobody really believes that this club functions properly or is run by serious people. They may know business – I would dispute that they know it as well as they think they do – but they certainly do not understand football and refuse to allow the football department its own autonomy.
I know people blame Desmond. But really, Desmond should not have the control over this board that he seems to wield. The reason this club is in this state is an executive board that serves the man, not the institution. You want to change things? Change that first.
We’re going to be right back here next summer, trying to dress up an even bigger shit-show. You can see it coming a mile down the road.
Michael you have taken Brendan down 🎵
Many have wanted us to be in the Europa League to gather co-efficient, now we don’t have the midfield and forward options to be competitive, a terrible window heads need to roll.
P67,
What about the dilapidated state of our stadium? That Brendan’s fault too?
Have some self respect man.
Chairbhoy 12.01
“ I get up in the morning… go on to soccer sites… see what’s happening… I watch a lot of matches… I see every Celtic match… I don’t have to spend 365 days in Celtic Park to be a good, faithful devotee of Celtic.”
Dermot Desmond
“Tounekti was the most expensive at £5.2m. The Norway-born Tunisia international spent only six months at Hammarby, in which time his transfer fee quadrupled. Our fee feels high.”
After been told that we must wait until the end of the window to put ourselves in a strong negotiating position, that goid players will not be available until the end of the window, we are now seeing a farce.
My hope that the attributes that Tounekti potentially had come good and the BR&CO can do a “Kuhn” on him.
Yet it doesn’t change the fact we paid way over the odds for him.
Yet it was our manager that got “blamed” for the high fees for Trusty, Engels and Idah.
Our manager has been saying all summer he needed players in.
We had a huge UCL-Q to prepare for, there now seems to be no apparent reason why Saracchi, Tounekti, Balikwisha could not have been signed earlier with a quality striker to boot…
We have saved no money* and screwed up an important part of our season.
Could we please now for the sake of our great club cease and desist with the blame culture and business politics and back our team.
They’ll need it.
Hail Hail
James Forest
“ serving the man not the institution “ Best comment of this whole debacle!
HH
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 12:10 pm,
If we can play Nygren as a false No9 in Europe, we may just get a few results.
Lots of development needed in lots of players though, Brnji included.
Hail Hail
Of course we over paid for the Norwegian lad. We simply refuse to learn our lessons. Idah, Engels & Trusty were a premium because we left it to the last day of the window. We did the exactly same thing this year.
Yet 67 continues to blame our manger for these fees – despite our manger wanting players in early !
We’re a basket case and heads need to roll.
A fair appraisal Paul, but a few questions I hope you’ll subsequently answer or unpack for us….
Did BR let Idah go knowing he’s 99% cert to get Iheanacho in to deputise (even temporarily) ?
Who let us pay over-the-odds for Sebastian, simply cos we needed to signal some kind of transfer splash?
What’s ‘on strategy’ about bringing in and giving game time to two loan defenders who belong to other clubs, while sending Inamura and maybe another out on loan for game time elsewhere ? Bonkers !
You’ve said nothing about Yang’s off/on transfer deal… and what it will do to his confidence/motivation?
Wouldn’t we have developed Shin and Kenny even having signed a proven Euro-grade striker ?
Ultimately, many on here are shimply inshisting on knowing whoosh reshponshible for these schtuff-ups ?
Section111 on 2nd September 2025 12:13 pm
“Comical Ali” was the nickname given by the Western media to Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the Iraqi Information Minister during the 2003 Iraq War.
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Lol. That was exactly my thoughts too. Laughable stuff.
PAUL67…You have allowed the Celtic Board ” OFF THE HOOK” Today and not for the 1st time.
UTTERLY SHAMEFUL MISCONDUCT by the Board.
Also…
” Sebastian joins Michel-Ange Balikwisha (24), who arrived for £5m from Royal Antwerp. Thrown in at the deep end on Sunday, Michel-Ange did well enough for a player who hardly knew anyone on the field.”
Sorry IF it appears that I am being unfair on BALIKWISHA, but ” WHAT EXACTLY…Did he do well enough ” ? He looked pretty lost to me v the Huns. He only managed to get away from TAVPEN ONCE, but was then deemed by the Hun REF to have fouled TAVPEN….I STILL don’t know IF he fouled TAVPEN or not ?
HH.
Sounds about right to me.
Short of getting in “quality” replacements for outgoing (or gone) players there didnt seem to be much planning or strategy at all.
Selling Idah so late without a replacement suggests either really poor management or something more wilfull
The reviews, the change in responsibility, structure, lines of command and strategy haven’t worked in three windows now – we still aren’t able to attract the sort of players need to become a regular champions league team. We need to get back to signing players who want to come to Celtic and who can be developed into champions league payers, and have a coach whos prepared to do it.
Section111 on 2nd September 2025 12:18 pm
And no hot water too, that’s Brendan at it again !
lots of infiltrators posting sh*** over the last few days for their own objectives and we know who you are ,so give it a rest you are just regurgitating the same crap over and over again and boring us to death , what’s done is done ,support the team, we have a league to win ,so give it a rest , their are enough doubters and ars*holes spewing their hatred of us in the media and wanting us to fail without our own copying and backing them and posting negativity on this blog, we are Celtic supporters through and through ,aye right.
BSR @ 12:20 pm,
Folk with a business obsession are blinkered to most other things in life, from my experience.
Yes, pastimes like the horses, golf, soccer, may be a distraction now and again, but how many times is this B2B?
It’s why we need football talent on the Executive and Boardroom.
Hail Hail
James Forrest on 2nd September 2025 12:14 pm
We’re going to be right back here next summer, trying to dress up an even bigger shit-show. You can see it coming a mile down the road.
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100% correct. And poor John Kennedy or Erik Ten Haag will get the blame. Once again.
No mention of Nicholson.
Interesting.
P67….Its your site…you can set the tone…but today’s post is up there with your worst….You should have came out with all guns blazing…you know who the culprits are…yet you stay quiet…I have been reading this site since the very early days…it is now a shadow of itself…What ever happened to No more Lazy Journalism…The way the MSM didn’t / couldn’t shine the spotlight on the old rangers / new rangers…for me…You are no different to that MSM now….no more lazy journalism….you’re having a laugh.
lots of infiltrators posting sh*** over the last few days for their own objectives and we know who you are ,so give it a rest you are just regurgitating the same crap over and over again and boring us to death , what’s done is done ,support the team, we have a league to win ,so give it a rest , their are enough doubters and ars*holes spewing their hatred of us in the media and wanting us to fail without our own copying and backing them and posting negativity on this blog, we are Celtic supporters through and through ,aye right.
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Hi Dermot! How was the golf this morning?
Over paying on deadline day is almost a certainty.
You also leave yourself exposed to the deadline day butterfly effect.
Our executive need to be held accountable.
Nicholson and Co should be praying BR does not quit.
Hello Paul67
“The possible arrival of an out of contract striker will change this, ”
=============
Should that read “The possible arrival of an out of contract striker will not change this,” ?
Ref Kuhn leaving ‘inexplicably’ early. If the offer was in the ‘you’re kidding, how much?’ category & if the player appeared set on a move away then it was perfectly explicable.
James Forrest on 2nd September 2025 12:14 pm
“(We) are on safe ground to say this transfer window was poorly conceived and terribly executed.”
Yep. He’s going to blame the manager.
===============
I do not share your inference based on this article. Interested to see how Paul67 develops the narrative further.
Yamada, Kenny, Osmand – what an unbelievable opportunity you guys have.
No names? Waiting till tomorrow to blame Brendan…
The mute must be sacked.
Desmond must not have the final say on transfer policy and individuals transfers. Stick to building airports ya egomaniac.
Agree we miss Taylor.
Also agree we stick with Kenny, Shin and Osmand rather than some expensive out of contract dud. But we will bring him in and he’ll be rotten.
As Harry Brady has said, in this window the Board has neutered the team and the manager. He will thank Brendan at the agm for not resigning.
PS remember all the best deals used to done at the of the window? Like recalling Idah then letting him go? Like recalling Yang? Like paying massively over the odds (again) for a modest winger from Hammarby?
Huge profits though. Increased bonuses all round!
Let’s hope the huns don’t get it together because they know how to get players in.
Unlike the mute.
but today’s post is up there with your worst….You should have came out with all guns blazing…you know who the culprits are…yet you stay quiet…I have been reading this site since the very early days…it is now a shadow of itself…What ever happened to No more Lazy Journalism…The way the MSM didn’t / couldn’t shine the spotlight on the old rangers / new rangers…for me…You are no different to that MSM now….no more lazy journalism….you’re having a laugh.
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Agreed and it’s a shame, the site in the early days was very good, P67 used to interact and debate with posts, now it’s drop a clickbait article on a site riddled with adverts.
Chairbhoy 12:21
Spot on. The bargaining power was all with Hammarby. The lad does look like he has some talent though (and pace) and does actually get to the byline!
Celtic40me @ 12:28 pm,
You really are not seeing it are you?
We did well in the revamped UCL last season and hit our objectives.
Now that came under two seasons incremental improvement under Ange and a season under Brendan Rodgers.
So three seasons to get there.
You think after a year of going backwards, some manager is going to come in, wave a magic wand and get us to UCL standards again!?
Not a chance, this is four seasons hard work down the drain, meanwhile the UCL elite and last seasons UCL peers will be striving to get better and better.
We’d have little chance in the UCL if we stood still, yet we have gone backwards.
No Manager coming to Celtic is going to turn that around.
Just look at the last dozen years a d tell me that’s feasible.
You are in cloud cookoo land.
Hail Hail