Martin O’Neill hopes Celtic’s Champions League elimination will not prevent the club from adding to their squad before the transfer deadline.
Celtic will play in the Europa League after a 5-1 extra-time defeat by LASK on Tuesday, which gave the Austrian side a 5-4 aggregate win in the Champions League play-off.
Asked whether missing out on the Champions League could affect Celtic’s ability to sign players, O’Neill said he hoped that would not be the case. He said the club were still working to bring players in and that the squad needed further additions before the window closes next week.
Four arrivals and key departures
Celtic have signed four players in the current window: Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur all arrived before the LASK tie.
Daizen Maeda has left for Ipswich Town, while Arne Engels has joined West Ham United. Celtic have faced criticism from supporters since last summer over the business completed ahead of the Champions League play-offs.
Champions League appeal
O’Neill acknowledged that the Champions League can be a major attraction for players, particularly younger ones. He said the Europa League remains a strong competition, but that its prestige is not the same and that finance is an important consideration.
Celtic’s immediate focus is now on the Europa League and on completing their transfer business before the deadline.
Recovering from the LASK defeat
Reflecting on what he described as a major disappointment, O’Neill said Celtic should have been out of sight by half-time, when they led 4-1 on aggregate. He said the side did not perform well in the second half and that he would analyse his own part in the result.
O’Neill also said Celtic could have defended their box better and must recover quickly. He called for the team to show real character after the defeat.
