Celtic legend Paul Lambert believes the club has made the right decision by retaining Martin O’Neill as manager, insisting the Northern Irishman is the ideal figure to guide the Hoops through a crucial rebuilding phase.
O’Neill is expected to remain at Parkhead on a one-year deal after steering Celtic to a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double during his latest spell in charge. Although the club has yet to formally announce the appointment, continuity has emerged as a key factor following an inconsistent campaign that exposed weaknesses within the squad.
Lambert, who captained Celtic during O’Neill’s first successful era at the club, believes there is no better candidate for the job.
“Celtic is a club that demands trophies every season,” Lambert said. “Martin understands the expectations and knows exactly what it takes to succeed there.”
While O’Neill delivered silverware last season, Celtic now face one of their most significant transfer windows in recent years.
Several first-team departures are expected. Veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has already retired following a serious shoulder injury, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kelechi Iheanacho are among players whose contracts have expired.
A number of loan players, including Marcelo Saracchi, Julian Araujo, Tomas Cvancara, Benjamin Arthur, Junior Adamu and Joel Mvuka, have also returned to their parent clubs. Celtic may attempt to keep Saracchi after the Uruguayan impressed as cover for Kieran Tierney.
The future of several key stars also remains uncertain. Japanese forward Daizen Maeda is entering the final year of his contract and is believed to be seeking a move after a proposed transfer was blocked last year. O’Neill has already suggested the Scottish Cup final could have been Maeda’s farewell appearance.
Midfielder Reo Hatate continues to attract interest from abroad, while Arne Engels could again become the subject of major offers after Celtic turned down a £25 million bid in January.
Questions also surround Benjamin Nygren following an impressive debut campaign, while captain Callum McGregor has publicly challenged the club to match his ambitions and continue investing to remain competitive.
The scale of the rebuild makes recruitment critical. Celtic supporters were left frustrated last season after key arrivals were delayed until late in the transfer window, by which time the club had already suffered a costly Champions League qualifying exit to Kairat Almaty.
Several expensive signings failed to make a meaningful impact, leaving the squad lacking balance and depth, particularly in attacking areas.
Those issues persisted during the January transfer window. Despite O’Neill’s calls for reinforcements, none of the loan recruits signed midway through the season featured prominently after the league split.
With another Champions League qualifying campaign approaching in August, Celtic cannot afford similar mistakes.
Lambert believes O’Neill will have a major influence over recruitment this summer.
“It’s a huge transfer window for Celtic,” he said. “What happened last year will have been a warning. Martin stabilised the club and I expect he’ll have a strong say in the players who arrive.”
Strengthening the attack is likely to be the priority. Celtic have yet to fully replace the goalscoring influence of Kyogo Furuhashi, while long-term injuries have limited the impact of winger Jota.
The decline in attacking output has been clear. Celtic scored 112 league goals during their 2024-25 title-winning campaign but managed only 73 last season.
O’Neill will hope to repeat the transfer success that transformed the club during his first spell in charge, when signings such as Chris Sutton, Joos Valgaeren and Alan Thompson helped build one of the most successful teams in Celtic’s modern history.
A similarly productive summer could strengthen Celtic’s title credentials and ease growing concerns among supporters ahead of another demanding season.
