Celtic’s current inertia and the transformational period under Postecoglou

Kieran Tierney’s return from Arsenal — a deal agreed back in January — stands as the headline addition, but beyond that, only the £1.7 million arrival of Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjaelland and potentially Shin Yamada, a £1.5m purchase from Kawasaki Frontale, look like potential first-team contributors.

With the Champions League registration deadline for the play-off round looming on 14 August and little sign of meaningful reinforcement, concern among supporters is well placed.

It’s not that Celtic can’t sell players — recent outgoings suggest the club remains competent in extracting value from its assets. The problem lies in what comes next. Whether hamstrung by internal financial parameters or lacking the recruitment expertise to land proven, European-ready talent, the club seems adrift when it comes to buying. But it wasn’t always like this.

Not long ago, under Ange Postecoglou, Celtic’s transfer business was decisive, modern, and well-connected. The squad was rebuilt at pace with signings who not only made immediate impact but also delivered long-term value. So what changed? Why has the club, which once executed one of the most effective rebuilds in its modern history, now reverted to reactive, often underwhelming recruitment?

To understand Celtic’s current inertia, we need to revisit what made that transformational period under Postecoglou work — and more importantly, why the relationships and structures that powered it were abandoned so abruptly.

Celtic’s transformation under Ange Postecoglou will go down as one of the most effective rebuilds in the club’s modern history — not just for the trophies it brought, but for the sharp, forward-thinking recruitment strategy that powered it. But as we sit here now, with that momentum having long since faded, one uncomfortable question lingers – why did Celtic so abruptly abandon the very relationships and structures that delivered that success?

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