James McFadden has been pretty vocal about how Celtic have been going about their transfer business.
Not just now, as the 2026 January transfer window edges closer to its Monday deadline, not even from the summer, but last winter also.
It was 12 months ago that Celtic sold Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes. Since then, he has left France, joined Birmingham City in the English Championship, and he is now linked with replacing the injured Adam Idah at Swansea City.
All in the meantime, McFadden is getting wound up by what Celtic are doing right now, as another striker, Shin Yamada, leaves the Parkhead building, six months after he was signed under Brendan Rodgers from Kawasaki Frontale in Japan.
- READ MORE: Gordon Dalziel says ‘mark my words’, shares ‘inside stories’ on Celtic transfers before the deadline
Where do Celtic still need to strengthen after signing Tomas Cvancara and Julian Araujo?
James McFadden on ‘mental’ call from Celtic to allow Shin Yamada to leave
Celtic have signed Tomas Cvancara, but that’s a loan, and it still hasn’t addressed the club’s striker issue.
It was suggested on Open Goal that the Hoops won’t win the title if they don’t add to the squad before the January transfer window slams shut.
That’s when McFadden slammed how the powers that be are going about their ways, as he mentioned that it’s ‘mental’ that Yamada has been allowed to leave – he has joined German second-tier side, Preusen Munster, on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Dalziel: “I don’t think Celtic will win the league with this squad. I really don’t. As much as Martin O’Neill is a brilliant manager, and they have good, good players, Celtic.
“But especially when the split comes, I don’t think Celtic win the league with this squad. A couple more injuries. Suspensions. They are f___ed. I do believe, even if they do get loans in, at least, it gives them a better chance.”
McFadden: “It depends on who they are. There is another striker away as well. Shin’s away, isn’t he? On loan. Another striker away. Mental.”
Dalziel: “But he isn’t going to play.”
McFadden: “I know he isn’t going to play. But it’s just the point that he is a guy who has been brought in. Another signing that is away out of the door, and they still haven’t replaced Kyogo from a year ago.”
Months after losing to Kairat Almaty, how do you feel about Celtic’s current situation?
McFadden’s plea and warning to the higher-ups at Celtic
There has been a lot of change at Celtic in January. Wilfried Nancy was booted out, and Paul Tisdale also left the building, but who replaces him?
The Open Goal panel questioned whether those higher up at Celtic can be trusted to bring somebody in, as McFadden stated, whatever happens, the restructuring needs to start now, and not in the summer.
Si Ferry: “How does it get better for Celtic in the transfer market? How do you make it better? What do they need? They can’t keep continuing to do this every transfer window.”
Dalziel: “I think they will probably restructure everything. They have to.”
McFadden: “They have to replace people who have left.”
Ferry: “Would you trust the people there to replace them? Because they are the same guys who brought Paul Tisdale in.”
McFadden: “Who is going to do it? A fan vote? Somebody has to do it. But you need to get the right people in.
“Clearly, over the last couple of years, you can see they haven’t had the right people in. The business, and how they have gone about it, has not been good enough. There has to be a big change. It has to be in motion right now.
“It can’t be, ‘right, let’s see how this season pans out and then we will look at it in the summer.’ It has to be in place right now. I think Tisdale leaving, he had to leave. He has shown that he wasn’t up to the job. He wasn’t capable.”
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