It wouldn’t be a transfer window at Celtic without some confusion and despair. Martin O’Neill’s side completed three final deals on deadline day, with further transfers set to take place with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival looming.
The scattered nature of the club’s recent business is clearly reflected in manager O’Neill’s announcement of changes to the Europa League squad, with Tomas Kvankala, Junior Adam and Julian Araujo set to feature in the play-off rounds.
However, with only three substitutions allowed, there is no place for Benjamin Arthur or Joel Mvuka. And the exclusion of £5m player Michel-Ange Balikwisha is another damning example of Celtic’s wanton recruitment this summer.
Again, frustratingly, despite having enough time to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain, the Englishman’s arrival came too late given his free agent status, and even if the Hoops progress to the last 16, the 32-year-old is certain to play no role at all.
The midfielder’s fitness level may be a cause for concern, having not featured since May after leaving Vesticus in the summer, but his quality should not be questioned.
What Celtic can expect from Oxlade-Chamberlain
It was almost 13 years ago that, as a teenager, Oxlade-Chamberlain broke into the wider game, most notably scoring in a 2-2 draw between England and Brazil at the Maracanã in June 2013.
It looked like the start of a fulfilling career for the Three Lions, but ‘The Ox’ still only has 35 caps in total, and the former Arsenal standout has been frustratingly injury-plagued during his time in England.
Perhaps he hasn’t reached the heights expected, but there is much to be encouraged about, especially when looking back at his past heroics following his £35m move to Liverpool in 2017.
The rampaging right-winger was remembered for his spectacular strike in the Champions League against Manchester City in his debut season, but that impact was brutally cut short by a torn anterior cruciate ligament before the World Cup this summer.
He has never been prolific, scoring just 18 and 20 goals at the Emirates and Anfield respectively, but he is a spectacular talent, scoring an incredible solo goal in his first season in Turkey in 2023/24.
Comfortable playing in midfield or out wide, the aging star is at his best as a right-sided central midfielder and boasts a real engine that gets him all over the pitch.
An experienced head who has won a number of major honors on Merseyside, he looks worth the risk as far as Celtic are concerned, and the late arrival of Oxlade-Chamberlain could have an impact on those already at Parkhead.
Why Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival could be bad news for Celtic stars
The decision to move on to sign the former Southampton sensation is an interesting one, especially considering the Glasgow side retained Arne Engels on deadline day amid growing interest from Nottingham Forest.
Celtic have already signed another Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Parkhead.
Could Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain be Celtic’s last-minute free transfer signing?
Indeed, the Hoops are not completely lacking in midfield depth at the moment, with Benjamin Nygren in particular filling a playmaking role, with Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Reo Hatate all competing for a starting spot alongside ever-present skipper Callum McGregor.
With Engels wearing the shirt for now, the addition of Oxlade-Chamberlain could have a further impact on the pecking order, leaving the standard-bearer in a precarious position despite his previous impressive performances in a Celtic shirt.
At one stage, the Japanese prodigy looked like “Scotland’s best player” in the eyes of Chris Sutton, while journalist Robert Grieve suggested as much last month, labeling the 28-year-old on that day “Scotland’s best player” and still thinks that is the case at times.
However, as Grieve hinted, those ‘days’ haven’t come enough this season and he hasn’t played in a game for a long time, while the midfielder’s ‘body language’ looked ‘completely wrong’.
Four years on from his impressive start to life at Parkhead, during which he scored a stunning brace in a 3-0 win over Rangers, Hatate currently has just one goal and two assists all season in the Premiership, with his off-the-ball workload particularly declining.
Once an infectious and relentless talent, the player is averaging just one tackle and interception, just two ball recoveries and two errors that lead to shots per game.
Standard-bearer premiership results | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | Goal (assist) |
25/26 | 20 | 1(2) |
24/25 | 37 | 10(4) |
23/24 | 16 | 3 (4) |
22/23 | 32 | 6(8) |
21/22 | 17 | 4(2) |
total | 122 | 24(20) |
For comparison, in 2022/23, his first full season in Glasgow, he scored 14 goals and assists, averaging 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game, and making zero errors.
There is a sense that the £1.1m man should have moved on sooner rather than later, with a significant return still to be made after the team’s recent turmoil, amid reports of interest from Brazil.
The diminutive midfielder has been a great servant to Celtic and still shows flashes at the right time, but after a disastrous campaign so far, signing Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the last straw as far as his flagbearer’s Parkhead career is concerned.
Celtic could still sign bigger talent than Oxlade-Chamberlain for £0
The deadline has passed, but Celtic may still have work to do.
