Celtic admit transfer market struggle vs Championship
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- Celtic have made only one new signing this summer — Colombian striker Camilo Duran in a £6m deal, the club's first proven forward bought since Kyogo Furuhashi left for Rennes 18 months ago
- Michael Nicholson told Celtic board members at a July 4 meeting in Cork that the club faces difficulty "competing with the Premier League and even the Championship" and dealing with agents, according to leaked minutes
- Martin O'Neill warned the Celtic board his squad was in "major need of signings" despite last season's double-winning "heroics," and said recruitment focus has shifted to younger, developable players attracted by European football
- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has re-signed after his short-term spell last season, but there is no sign of an extended deal for Kelechi Iheanacho, whose late-season goals off the bench proved crucial
- Chris Sutton believes Celtic may need to spend more than £50m overhauling their squad this summer to retain the Scottish Premiership title and compete in the Champions League qualifiers
- Celtic supporters' groups are calling on fans to boycott Saturday's pre-season friendly against Middlesbrough amid ongoing demands for change in the boardroom
- Celtic begin their Scottish Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on August 3, live on Sky Sports, with the first Old Firm clash scheduled for September 20
Why it matters: Celtic open their title defence on August 3 having signed one player all summer, and Chris Sutton estimates the club needs to spend £50m to compete in Champions League qualifying — a figure that quantifies the financial gap Nicholson flagged between Celtic and even Championship-level English sides.
