Celtic are still enjoying a remarkable end to a tumultuous 2025/26 season, but there is still a lot to sort out at Parkhead, and a lot of potential change.
The question that remains is whether club officials will stick with or change Martin O’Neill, the 74-year-old who has worked wonders to guide a flawed, injury-ravaged side to two victories.
Whether O’Neill is in charge or not, success at the end of this season cannot hide the need for seismic reinforcements from back to front, with more moves set to be on the cards.
In fact, it sounds like an Ange Postecoglou-style overhaul is needed in Glasgow, with work already underway amid the search for new recruits.
Celtic are preparing to sign a 2025 Parkhead target
It’s shaping up to be an exciting summer in the Premiership, as Lawrence Shankland’s move to Rangers will be the first big move of the window.
The Gers look set to target Scottish or SPFL-proven players, while they and Celtic could be in the market for similar targets, amid their interest in Motherwell star Elijah Just.
The New Zealander could provide the Hoops with a new spark of creativity, either on the right or in a number ten role, although he is not the only option on the club’s shortlist.
Indeed, as reported by Stephen McGowan of The Herald, Celtic may renew their interest in Go Ahead Eagles star Jakob Breum, following previous interest in the player last year.
The champions have seen a succession of bids put off for the 22-year-old in 2025, although they could come to the table this time, along with similar interest in January target Kasper Hogh.
In the case of Breum, last summer’s suggestion was that Celtic would have to cough up around £6m to secure a deal for the line-up.
Why Breum could be Celtic’s biggest talent since O’Riley
There is no getting away from it, the recruitment of the past three years, since Postecoglou’s exit, has been disappointing, with Nicolas Kuhn and Benjamin Nygren representing the only significant success stories.
Celtic’s most expensive signings of all time
The Hoops have made some sensible signings over the years.
Kuhn’s spell lasted just 18 months, however, while for Nygren, the Sweden’s prolific goalscorer was prolific in his debut campaign, yet remains a polarizing figure due to his lack of movement and fitness, often coming in and out of games.
Equally, neither of the pair come close to the levels achieved by the club’s biggest marquee sale in recent years, in the form of Matt O’Riley, the Denmark international who left on a £25m deal in 2024, following two-and-a-half years in Glasgow.
Operating in a more advanced role, the fine left-footer has been highly influential under both Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, scoring and assisting 62 goals in 142 appearances across all competitions.
Released from MK Dons in a £1.5m deal in January 2022, the then 21-year-old blossomed into a star in green and white, a genius in his final season under Rodgers.
Hopefully young Breum could be lined up the same way if he were to trade the Netherlands for Scotland, having enjoyed a run of form in recent years.
At just 22 years of age, the versatile player – who is used to playing the number ten role – has amassed a wealth of experience with his current club, scoring and assisting 37 times in just 105 games.
|
Breum figures 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games |
28 |
|
It starts |
24 |
|
Goals |
6 |
|
It helps |
5 |
|
Great opportunities are not missed |
2 |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
12 |
|
Key passes* |
1.9 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
84% |
|
Success. dribble* |
1.1 |
|
Ball lost* |
10.9 |
The young Dane – who is waiting to join O’Riley at the top level for his country – emulates his compatriot as a goalscorer himself but also has a real creative spark, having scored six goals and registered five assists in the Eredivisie this season.
He also averaged 1.9 key passes per game and created 12 ‘big chances’ in that time, the 12th best record in the division for that latter metric.
In comparison, only Daizen Maeda (14) bettered this figure for Celtic in 2025/26, while in O’Riley’s final season at Parkhead, the left-back was ahead after creating 14 ‘big chances’ himself.
Encouragingly, this was no flash in the pan for Breum either, having scored and assisted 15 goals in the Eredivisie in 2024/25, showing enough to suggest he could be a success in Scottish football.
At a time when the Celtics’ recruitment process needs to be changed, there may be concerns about chasing targets like Hogh and Breum, although for the latter, in particular, it’s easy to see why they still attract such strong interest.
A brilliant and exciting talent, he could be the biggest star since O’Riley.
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