There could be a completely different look to this Celtic team once the window closes, with some club changes on the cards at Parkhead.
Kasper Schmeichel has called time on his playing career, and there will be no return for Marcelo Saracchi or Kelechi Iheanacho, the latter of whom is now lined up in the green and white of Bursaspor.
Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Alistair Johnston, Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren and Reo Hatate, although the headline will be the amazing striker, Daizen Maeda, during his move to Ipswich Town.
The backbone of Martin O’Neill’s title-winning side looks set to suffer, but what about captain, can the champions really afford to lose Calum McGregor?
Why Celtic must keep Callum McGregor this summer
The decision to switch to a Dubai agent this summer has fueled speculation about the Hoops captain, reuniting with the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou in the Middle East in recent weeks.
|
McGregor – Celtic record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The manager |
Games |
Terms (Help) |
|
Rodgers |
264 |
38 (38) |
|
Lennon |
102 |
17 (23) |
|
Postecoglou |
94 |
9 (8) |
|
Deila |
64 |
11 (11) |
|
O’Neill |
33 |
2 (3) |
|
Nancy |
8 |
0 (1) |
|
Kennedy |
8 |
0 (0) |
|
Strachan |
2 |
0 (0) |
|
Total |
575 |
77 (84) |
O’Neill was keen to stress that there had been no indication that the long-serving midfielder wanted to leave, suggesting it would be a “devastating blow” if McGregor pursued a final day of pay elsewhere.
He hasn’t told me that he wants to leave right now. That can be a terrible blow, but sometimes money is a big deal, especially if you’re over 30. “I’m going to talk to him. He hasn’t brought it up yet, so maybe if he doesn’t talk to me, it’ll be fine.”
“But if he does, I will tell him that we want him at the football club. But obviously if something comes up that bothers him, that becomes a different problem.”
The academy graduate is under contract until 2028 and stated his intention to see out his career in Glasgow in April, as long as the club “keep pushing”, rather than standing still.
The latest exchange doesn’t speak well of the club ‘pushing’, although Celtic need the 33-year-old to stay keenly. He is a quality player, a tempo-setter, a man who has been in the first team for 12 years.
Even last time out against lowly Auchinleck Talbot, O’Neill still played the former Scotland star for 80 minutes, which is a sign that this team cannot function without him.
It’s not a matter of replacing McGregor, but instead of getting something that has been needed for a long time at Parkhead – the right student.
McGregor’s £4m fan now wants to join Celtic this summer
The Hoops are still waiting to add another signing after the recent arrival of Camilo Duran, with talk of a return for Kyogo Furuhashi having been quickly shot down by the Japanese striker’s move to LA Galaxy.
The Premiership giants could finally get what they wanted in the striker department by renewing January interest in Bodo/Glimt man Kasper Hogh, who is set to cost £7m.
Elsewhere, on the other hand, Engels’ potential exit has opened up a void, with CeltsAreHere reporting that talks are taking place over a £4m deal for Paderborn’s Mika Baur.
The 22-year-old player is said to be trying to make this decision, and although the German outfit does not want to sell him, the fact that he has a year left on his contract may force their hand.
Celtic are said to view the youngster as someone who can operate as a number 8 and number 6, although he has operated as a left-back in recent times.
That flexibility and versatility certainly shows McGregor at his best, a former Notts County loanee who first emerged as an attacking asset during his time in England, scoring 14 goals in 41 games in 2013/14 while operating in the flanks.
His success at Celtic under Ronny Deila also saw a much-improved role, with the captain since switching to the midfield metronome that has been the club’s centerpiece for several seasons now.
Baur, a Germany U21 international, looks set to be cut from the same cloth, as his current record for Paderborn stands at ten goals and assists in 44 games in all competitions, having scored 13 goals and assisted in 61 games for Freiburg’s second team.
The £4m man doesn’t really have any first-team experience behind him, but there is plenty to be encouraged about, having helped the German outfit secure promotion to the Bundesliga last season by making the play-offs.
In total, Baur started 32 matches in the Bundesliga.2 in 2025/26, scoring and assisting nine goals while creating three ‘big chances’. Perhaps most impressively, he also averaged 1.5 key passes per game, mirroring McGregor as someone who is always looking to make that forward pass between the lines.
In Postecoglou’s first season in charge in 2021/22, for example, McGregor averaged 1.4 in that, while rebounding defensively with an average of 2.2 tackles per game, just below Baur’s recent average of 2.4 in that same metric.
The young German is one of the more progressive, aggressive and classy midfield players, who will likely revitalize a midfield unit that has lacked any spark or energy of late.
Of course, the hope will be that McGregor will avoid getting rich in Saudi to stay there, although even so, Celtic may have found him to enter the center of the field that the club has been crying for.
