Celtic have begun work to seal new signing

It all comes down to just two games to define Celtic’s season in the Premiership, alongside the looming Scottish Cup final, with Martin O’Neill having overseen a remarkable turnaround to drag the reigning champions back into title contention.

A chaotic campaign, one full of turbulence, could still end in a domestic double for the Parkhead side, yet that might merely paper over the cracks. This is a team, and a squad, in need of significant surgery this summer.

With a raft of loanees set to depart, and the futures of key first-team stars – namely Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda – set to be under the microscope, there’s so much to sort for the next permanent manager in the dugout.

After an errant few years of recruitment in the post-Ange Postecoglou days, Celtic need to get back to what they did best under the Aussie – signing players of sky-high potential on the cheap.

Celtic already making moves to sign Parkhead’s next young superstar

The wayward, scattergun nature of Celtic’s recent recruitment could be seen when looking at Sunday’s matchday squad for the derby.

While partly influenced by injury, it was telling that none of the club’s January loan signings were involved at all, with Junior Adamu and Joel Mvuka swiftly fading from view without barely getting a kick.

How stark the contrast is to Postecoglou’s tenure, with January 2022 notably seeing Hatate and Maeda arrive from Japan, while Matt O’Riley was plucked on a bargain £1.5m deal from MK Dons.

That latter deal remains one of the most fruitful of Celtic’s modern era, with the Daily Mail reporting that a similar move could potentially be on the cards, amid the Hoops’ interest in Huddersfield Town teenager, Cameron Ashia.

As per the report, the Parkhead side have already begun work on signing the 21-year-old after making ‘initial enquiries’, albeit with rivals Rangers among the raft of other clubs who are also tracking his progress.

Ashia did only recently see his contract extended by a further year, although the piece outlined that he could still be on the market for as little as £500k.

Why Ashia could be the next Matt O’Riley at Parkhead

Sunday’s win marked a statement showing for Arne Engels, although the Belgian is, perhaps unfairly, still left in the shadow of the man who came before him, with O’Riley such a beloved figure at Parkhead.

Having been let go by Fulham in his youth, after just five first-team appearances for the Cottagers, he eventually found his way to Glasgow after a spell in England’s lower leagues with MK Dons, scoring and assisting 18 goals in 54 games in that time.

Only 21 at the time of the move, O’Riley’s talent was swiftly evident in a Celtic shirt, departing for Brighton and Hove Albion for £25m just over two years later, with 62 goals and assists in 124 games under his belt.

Such remarkable profit might well be what the Hoops would be hoping to achieve if a bargain deal can be struck for Ashia, with the £500k-rated winger making a splash himself south of the border.

Like O’Riley, the London-born speedster has endured his own rejection in recent times after his release from Derby County in 2023, having not been signed by Huddersfield until April 2024, initially joining the club’s B team.

Operating in England’s third tier this season, he has swiftly made up for lost time, however, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 31 games in all competitions, in just his first full year at senior level.

That includes a return of three goals and three assists in 21 League One games, despite only starting four times, making the most of his fleeting opportunities in 2025/26.

There may be doubts over whether he can make the step up to the Premiership, although O’Riley was competing in England’s third tier too before joining, scoring and assisting five times in his solitary full league season in Milton Keynes.

Comparison to Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku also bode well for Ashia’s hopes of making the grade, with the young winger boasting that exciting blend of blistering pace and fearless dribbling prowess.

He evidently has the end product to match, just like O’Riley, suggesting that Celtic would be wise to take a risk and beat their rivals to his signature this summer.

For a possible fee of just £500k, the Hoops would surely have little to lose.