Celtic’s recruitment is questioned at every corner.
But in securing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, they are making a signing that certainly seems to make sense on paper.
Martin O’Neill added three loanees to his squad on Deadline Day, on top of already-signed pair Julian Araujo and Tomas Cvancara, who have also come on loan.
But it emerged late in the day that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was of interest to Celtic, with the midfielder available on a free transfer after leaving Besiktas last summer.
And with the Englishman now set to complete his move to Glasgow, O’Neill has something to say to anyone doubting his new signing.
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Martin O’Neill on Celtic-bound Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Oxlade-Chamberlain was an England regular in his early 20s, commanding a £35 million fee when Liverpool signed him from Arsenal.
But with those days now firmly in the past, are Celtic getting a player who is past his best?
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For O’Neill, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ‘quality’ is undeniable.
He said: “I think that the people who have said that are absolutely entitled to that opinion. From a distance, I might have thought about that myself.
“He’s been training, if everything is to be believed, with Arsenal. Well, at this minute Arsenal are one of the strongest teams in Europe.
“If he’s training with high quality players, it can only be a benefit to him. If they even thought about taking him on as a backup, probably not playing for them at any stage because they’ve got so many good players, it says a lot about him.
“He’s got a bit of quality. It’s whether he has the fitness and the desire. I think the desire should be there. It’s a matter of how quickly he gets up to speed.
“He’s played at a very, very top level. For whatever reason, he chose to leave the country when he was about 29 or 30.
“He said on the phone to me the first time that he had about three or four managers. Somebody signed him and then left relatively quickly.
“Then the next one came in and I don’t think he got on too well with him. So it’s been like that back and forward. But he’s definitely got some calibre.”
Could Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have an impact like Scott Sinclair did at Celtic?
Celtic and the free transfer market
It may not always be the sexiest kind of transfer, but Celtic’s use of the free agent market in recent years has led to some seriously impactful additions.
Just last summer, Kieran Tierney returned to Glasgow on a pre-contract, with Kelechi Iheanacho following him a few months later.
The summer prior, Kasper Schmeichel was signed on a free transfer after the expiration of his spell at Anderlecht.
Aaron Mooy must also be mentioned. Signed by Ange Postecoglou in 2022, he only spent one year in Glasgow after his signing, but what a year it was.
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