Celtic's Transfer Plans: Duran Signs as O'Neill Promises More

Martin O’Neill expects Celtic’s transfer window to finally crackle into life, with Camilo Duran set to become the first new face through the door this summer.

The 24-year-old forward has completed his medical and will join from Qarabag for a fee in the region of £6m, a reward for a standout 2025-26 campaign in which he struck five times in the Champions League. It is exactly the kind of profile Celtic fans have been waiting to see – European pedigree, room to grow, and a sense that the club is thinking beyond the domestic grind.

For now, though, patience in the stands is wearing thin.

O’Neill promises movement

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already committed to another year, extending the short-term deal he signed in January. His experience and versatility impressed enough to earn a fresh contract, but one renewal and one imminent arrival have not been enough to quiet the grumbles about a slow summer.

O’Neill knows it.

“We have a number of players that we're looking at,” he said. “We've had a number of offers in for players as well too at the same time.

“And I'm hoping in the not-too-distant future, and I mean maybe in the next couple of weeks, that we will have some really decent players at the football club to add to the very decent players we have at the football club.”

That is the manager’s public line: work is being done, targets are identified, deals are in motion. The reality is blunt. Celtic are defending champions, facing Champions League qualifiers, and still look several signings short of where they need to be.

Carter-Vickers back from the brink

There was at least one major positive on the pitch. Cameron Carter-Vickers pulled on a Celtic shirt for the first time since October, playing the opening 45 minutes of a 1-1 draw with Shelbourne in which both sides scored late penalties.

For the United States defender, it marked the end of a long, lonely road.

“At first, I just thought I had a bit of cramp in my calf,” he said, recalling the moment he was injured in a Europa League win over Sturm Graz.

“Pretty soon after that, when the physios saw it, they thought it was a rupture in the Achilles, which it turned out to be. Obviously at that point, you know it's going to be a long-term injury.

“For me, it was just about understanding that's the situation you're in and just working towards getting back in the best shape and the best way possible.

“It was just about not getting too far ahead of yourself and kind of chasing small gains and being happy with small gains. I was in a cast for three weeks then a boot for eight.

“You can't really move your foot in any type of direction at first so right at the beginning of the rehab, it was about when I did get a bit of movement back in my foot, it was about taking that as a win and being positive about it and then after that you're chasing the next thing and the next thing.”

Carter-Vickers’ return changes the feel of Celtic’s back line immediately. He has been the defensive cornerstone of recent title wins; having him fit again is as valuable as any new signing. But even with him restored, the wider picture remains clear: this squad needs serious work.

Sutton’s warning: spend, or slip

Chris Sutton has never been shy about demanding more from his old club, and he has put a number on what he believes is required. In his view, Celtic may need to throw more than £50m at this window just to stand still domestically and avoid being outclassed again in Europe.

“Martin worked wonders last season. I didn't see Celtic winning the title from the position which he was put in on a couple of occasions,” he told Sky Sports News.

“I mean, the run towards the end of the season was extraordinary but I still think you can't get away from the fact there needs to be a lot of change at Celtic in terms of recruitment.

“They've got the Champions League qualifier which is really important and, however exciting it was for Celtic fans to end up getting over the line last season, you can't get away from the fact that Celtic struggled at times throughout the season. Martin will be looking to, I'm sure, bring players in.

“It'll be interesting to see who goes out from Celtic. It looks like Reo Hatate will go, possibly Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels but they're big players for the team. Who are Celtic going to replace those type of players with? Celtic are possibly going to have to spend up to or more than £50m really because the squad does need a rebuild.”

That is the crux of it. The champions may lose Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels – three players who define the team’s energy and technical level. Replacing that kind of influence is expensive, complicated, and rarely done in a single window without pain.

Duran’s arrival is a start, not a solution.

Title defence on the clock

The calendar adds its own pressure. Celtic open their Scottish Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on August 3, a Monday night 7.30pm kick-off that will close a landmark first weekend in which all six top-flight games are shown live on Sky Sports.

By then, O’Neill will want more than promises and medicals. He will want bodies in the building, combinations on the training pitch, and a squad that looks equipped not just to edge over the line again, but to impose itself from the first whistle of the new campaign.

The manager insists the work is underway. Sutton insists the scale of it must be huge. The support, watching rivals move and European qualifiers loom, will soon find out which of them is closer to the truth.