Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could make his Celtic debut as early as Wednesday night.
Not only is he Martin O’Neill’s only permanent signing of this winter, but the midfielder is also undoubtedly the most talked-about.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had been a free agent since leaving Besiktas at the end of last season, but had spent the last three months training with Premier League table-toppers Arsenal.
In his own words, the Englishman is ready to go. His career CV speaks for itself, and at the age of 32, there is still plenty of football left in the tank.
But what does the signing say about Celtic’s recruitment approach as a whole? Michael Stewart has had his say.
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Michael Stewart on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Celtic’s contact with the former Arsenal and Liverpool star was first reported in the late hours of deadline day, which had been fairly busy for O’Neill.
Striker Junior Adamu, defender Benjamin Arthur and winger Joel Mvuka were all brought to Parkhead on loan in the final day of the window.
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This business, along with the late addition of Oxlade-Chamberlain, has been criticised by Stewart on the Scottish Football Social Club.
Stewart conceded that Oxlade-Chamberlain is a quality player, but criticised the club’s recruitment, saying: “With Celtic, everything is a little bit short-termism.
“They are looking for players who perhaps haven’t had a great start to the season, or been without a club, which then makes it more difficult for them to have an impact quickly before the end of the season.
On whether it can be a good signing, he said: “I agree. You don’t doubt the quality of Oxlade-Chamberlain, he’s got unbelievable quality.
“But if you’re not fit and at it, especially in Scotland, it’s far from ideal. Because you’ve got folk breathing down your neck every two seconds.
“I don’t just mean Oxlade-Chamberlain, guys like Joel Mvuka as well. These guys are going to have to get up to speed pretty quickly.”
The 32-year-old has signed a six-month contract with a view to reassessing in the summer.
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Celtic’s signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: sensible or scattergun?
Criticism of Celtic’s long-term planning is nothing new, but is it applicable in the context of this January?
Head of Scouting Jay Lefevre left Celtic in November, whilst Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale was dismissed at the beginning of this year. As a result, O’Neill and Shaun Maloney fronted a makeshift recruitment team.
Clearly, the objective of the January window was simple: to improve the team to win the league. By definition, this is short-termism, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t make sense.
Stewart questions the Englishman’s match fitness, but training with one of the best teams in Europe will have kept him somewhat sharp.
And if he’s sharp enough to aid a title push, he may well be exactly the signing that Celtic needed.
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