Gineitis signs for Celtic as Hatate leaves - O'Neill's dream end to the transfer window

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FT Desk

From the outside looking in, you would have been forgiven for thinking that everything was rosy for Celtic at the start of the new campaign.

They won their first two games in the Scottish Premiership, progressed in the League Cup and then impressively put three past Austrian champions LASK in the first leg of a Champions League playoff tie last week.

There was undoubtedly a good feeling around the club as rumours of significant further investment started doing the rounds if and when they managed to qualify for the Champions League league phase.

It was a matter of when and not if, wasn't it?

After all, they took a 3-0 lead into the second leg and even scored first in Austria through captain Callum McGregor to hold a 4-0 aggregate advantage.

Not so fast, as what came thereafter was one of the most cataclysmic capitulations in the history of the club as LASK would go on to win the second leg 5-1 and the tie 5-4 to progress.

Calling it a disaster does not do it justice - those ambitious spending plans are over and even manager Martin O'Neill said post-match that the calibre of players they were targeting will likely not make the move to Celtic Park without Champions League football.

The rest of the transfer window was dependent on Champions League football or Europa League football, and now we have the latter, so what will Celtic do before it closes next week?

Sign a defensive midfielder

Any Celtic fan will tell you that the team has been crying out for a defensive midfielder for years to take some of the load off McGregor and the club has indeed been linked with a couple, as well as more attacking options in the centre.

Prior to the loss against LASK, they were linked with Gvidas Gineitis of Torino, Ermin Mahmic of Zeljescar Sarajevo and Niko Sigur of Hajduk Split.

It remains to be seen whether they still want to come to the club but Mahmic is now in talks with PAOK, while Sigur has subsequently been linked with Gent and then Leeds.

Gineitis does seem to fit the bill the most but is more of a box-to-box midfielder than an anchorman. Having said that, Celtic can't afford another monumentally bad performance from Luke McCowan like the against LASK so they actually need more bodies as well as quality.

The Torino midfielder would cost around €10m but RB Salzburg also want him.

If they go cheaper, Hibs midfielder Miguel Chaiwa has been campaigning for a move to Celtic Park.

Sign defensive cover

Conceding five goals in any match means a defence needs to be looked at. Many have suggested that LASK are a Champions League-level side and Celtic are not at the level required to compete, but this was not Paris Saint-Germain and the Austrian side tore apart the Scottish champions like tissue paper.

Crucially, they did so in the first leg and even Dundee United hit the post FIVE times during the League Cup encounter last Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is a fine defender but has undoubtedly lost a yard of two of pace after missing most of last season, while Auston Trusty's lack of guile - or even savvy - cost a goal in the second leg. Liam Scales is fine as a backup but a new, higher-class centre-back is required and has been for some time.

Alistair Johnston was meant to be heading to Everton but an injury halted that move so Colby Donovan will deputise for a while. Anthony Ralston proved again on Tuesday he is simply not good enough for European football.

The club need a right-back and at least one new centre-back.

Thankfully, cover from Kieran Tierney will likely be signed in the form of Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo.

Current ETV

Reo Hatate

M (C)

Celtic

Reo Hatate

M (C)

Celtic

€8M

ETV Range

€6.8M - €9.2M

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Sell Hatate

Reo Hatate wants to leave Celtic. The player knows it, the club know it, and the fans know it.

Though he came on on Tuesday and didn't perform nearly as poorly as McCowan or new signing Mika Baur, his heart truly isn't with the club any more.

The Japanese midfielder has reportedly turned down a move to the MLS but the club need to act professionally here and start offering him out to other clubs.

Sell Nygren...?

Benjamin Nygren has emerged as one of the most polarising Celtic players in recent memory. Some fans adore him while some fans aren't so sure.

Even the supporters who don't fancy him can be charmed by his admittedly very impressive goal and assist statistics - but there is always a lingering feeling that something just isn't right there.

He was marvellous in the first leg and scored a quite incredible goal into the top right corner from the edge of the area.

However, any good faith he generated in the first leg evaporated in the second leg due to his actively detrimental performance in Austria. While Celtic were cruising 4-0 up on aggregate, he sent a lazy pass back to his own goalkeeper that was intercepted as LASK scored their first of the game and from there the floodgates were open.

It is that laziness and aloof demeanour that sticks in the craw of many Celtic fans.

Should they cash in now and simply move on even though he was named Player of the Year in his first campaign?

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FT Desk

FootballTransfers' desk

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