Celtic signings may not be finished yet as Martin O'Neill provides major transfer update

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill made a swift exit from his post match press conference following the 3-0 win over Aberdeen to continue the club’s transfer hunt.

Although the Uefa registration deadline was 11pm on Wednesday, little more than 90 minutes after the final whistle blew following the champions' latest league win, O’Neill was still actively trying to finalise deals. “I need to go!” he said, as he left the room. Players signed after the Uefa deadline cannot play for Celtic in the upcoming league phase of the Europa League. The domestic deadline is 5pm on Thursday.

It had already been a busy day for Celtic – left-back Landon Emenalo joined on loan from Chelsea but is carrying a slight injury and could not feature v Aberdeen.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill during the 3-0 win over Aberdeen. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Oliver Sorensen and Shim Mheuka, signed on loan from Parma and Chelsea respectively, made their debuts in the second half of the comfortable victory over the Pittodrie side while goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who has joined on loan from Wolves, was on the bench.

Dutch teenager Joel van den Berg was in the building and his move from PSV Eindhoven on a four-year deal was confirmed just before 10.30pm. Meanwhile, right-back Jordan Lotomba's season-long loan move from Feyenoord was announced just before the 11pm deadline. Other deals, including Torino’s Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, remain in the pipeline.

An upbeat O’Neill was in playful mood after a comfortable victory thanks to first-half goals from Camilo Duran, Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun. Adding to his enjoyment was seeing Sorensen and Mheuka make second-half debuts as Celtic continue to strengthen ahead of their European commitments.

“We're looking at another 15 (signings), they're just outside the door at this minute, they're waiting to come in at quarter past ten!” said O’Neill. “They're actually in the turnstile, some of them. I'm delighted with that and we'll see what develops over the next six-and-a-half minutes..."

Despite so much activity, O’Neill named a starting XI featuring no new signings. Centre-half Liam Scales replaced the injured Kieran Tierney at left-back and acquitted himself well. “He's a centre half playing left back, trying to get forward, trying to create things for us at home in Kieran Tierney’s position,” said O'Neill. “Hopefully KT’s not out that long, but it's a position that we'd obviously need to fill. Now we've got little Emenalo coming in who's signed for us, he's picked up an injury at this moment, but I'm prepared to wait a couple of weeks for him and I think that with a couple of weeks' time, he can play left back and he can play left-sided centre midfield as well too.”

Shim Mheuka made his Celtic debut off the bench in the 3-0 win over Aberdeen after joining from Chelsea on a season-long loan. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

O’Neill did not want to linger on whether the frantic activity has all come a little late given last week’s traumatic exit from the Champions League at the hands of LASK. Celtic had failed to replace Arne Engels, who joined West Ham prior to the play-off. Reo Hatate and striker Johnny Kenny have also now left for Burnley and Preston North End respectively. But O’Neill has been busy.

“Honestly I am pleased,” he said. “The transfer window is there and I'm pleased that we have done what we have because there's quite a few who have left the football club. Reo’s gone and Johnny Kenny has gone, I wish them all the best, and so we needed people in. Even if they miss the European deadline, if there is a possibility of getting someone else in, I would definitely want to do that if we can.”

On the game itself, O’Neill pointed to a moment when Aberdeen hit the bar on the stroke of half-time and Celtic broke away to score their third as being significant. Camilo Duran scored the opener after 15 minutes before Benjamin Nygren added a second on 35 minutes. Yang struck the game-finishing third.

“Camilo set the tone for us,” said O'Neill. “I think perhaps maybe all season he's done that. He’s a really class player. He scored a great goal.

"Obviously until you get that (opening) goal you just have to be on your guard as much as anything. I thought probably the big moment of the game was them hitting the bar with the header from the corner kick. If that had gone in, it could have been 2-1 but we go down the field and make it three.”