Odin Thiago Holm’s difficult spell at Celtic has come to an end after completing a move to Valerenga, but that shouldn’t stop them from looking at the smaller leagues in the future.
The Norwegian arrived with promise after impressing in Norway, yet minutes have been limited since his move to Glasgow and Holm has now gone back to Valerenga on loan.
It would be fair to suggest that the Bhoys should be looking away from leagues considered weaker than the Scottish Premiership and look to recruit from the bigger divisions; however, one failure doesn’t mean an entire section of their recruitment should be abandoned.
Celtic have bloated their squad with a high volume of ‘project’ signings over the last decade…
Celtic have had plenty of success from smaller leagues
Celtic’s recruitment model has repeatedly delivered players who arrived from outside Europe’s top leagues and quickly became key contributors.
Kyogo Furuhashi joined from Japan and immediately established himself as a consistent goalscorer. His movement and finishing turned him into a focal point of the attack within months of his arrival and saw him score more than 80 goals before being sold to Rennes.
Matt O’Riley followed a similar path after joining from MK Dons, stepping straight into midfield and becoming a regular starter. Although it looked too big of a jump to make, O’Riley slotted in seamlessly and became a vital cog of Brendan Rodgers’ side, both technically and physically.
Benjamin Nygren has also shown how players from less prominent leagues can adapt quickly when the role and system suit their strengths, outperforming his xG and proving to be the Bhoys’ main goal threat this season.
Why recruitment risk is inevitable
Transfers are a bit like the lottery: you’ve got to be in it to win it. Holm’s situation reflects that broader reality rather than a specific flaw in targeting smaller leagues, recruitment decisions are based on probability, and no club achieves a perfect success rate.
Joining Celtic has an added weight that few talk about, especially when going from a smaller league to a world-renowned team such as the Hoops.
You have been given £10m to sign one player for Celtic in the summer transfer window…
Which player are you spending that money on?
Holm struggled with that, particularly in games played at a higher tempo. His limited impact reflects those challenges rather than a failure of the scouting process alone.
Why Celtic should not change strategy
Moving away from signing players from smaller leagues would remove a pathway that has consistently delivered value and performance.
Despite sitting on a pile of cash, Celtic operate in a financial environment where competing directly with Europe’s richest clubs is not realistic. Players from lesser leagues are cheaper and are seen as the perfect candidates to eventually sell on for profit.
Yes, Holm will be one to forget, but he isn’t a reason to abandon a style that has provided more hits than misses.
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