There were 10 signings made in the summer of 2023 and only the loan of Paulo Bernardo could be deemed a success
12:58, 10 Sep 2025Updated 13:49, 10 Sep 2025
The summer of 2023 appeared set to be the stick to beat Celtic decision makers with for years to come.
But few could have predicted the farce which ensued this summer and the simmering recriminations aimed towards the club’s decision makers.
However, the lingering effects of a transfer window two years ago packed with mistakes made on Brendan Rodgers‘ return for his second spell continue to be felt even factoring the epic fail which left fans short of a true replacement for Kyogo, Nicolas Kuhn and watching Adam Idah leave for Swansea.
There were 10 signings made in the summer of 2023 and only the loan of Paulo Bernardo could be deemed a success and that’s for a player who has been reduced to a fringe man in recent months.
Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke weren’t even afforded the chance to do much wrong but both were deemed ill-fits by Rodgers. The former is on loan at Hannover 96 while Sweden international Lagerbielke joined Braga permanently in the summer.
South Korea duo Kwon and Yang have fared differently, midfielder Kwon showed fleeting glimpses with St Mirren and Hibs before winning a shock transfer to Ligue 1 Nantes.
Yang should be away too but his move to Birmingham collapsed on deadline day. The 22-year-old is flawed but he has also shown excitement, especially when used as an impact sub with the South Korea international being fired out the cannon.
Marco Tilio was deemed to be “training away” by Rodgers before he was sent back Down Under before landing a permanent switch to Rapid Vienna this summer.
Gustaf Lagerbielke in action for Celtic(Image: SNS Group)
If Lagerbielke and Nawrocki were annexed due to a lack of pace then the scouting department must have been watching Luis Palma on double speed.
The Honduras international had set-piece capabilities but his one-paced style always made him an unlikely candidate to be Celtic’s long-term starter on the left wing.
Throw in cumbersome Nat Phillips, a nightmare loan signing from Liverpool, and you couldn’t possibly get it more wrong if you employed the man or woman on the street.
But there was one potential gem hiding amid the stones which weighed down a summer to forget.
Odin Thiago Holm offered an air of confidence underlined by the fact he’d gone to deed poll as a teenager to add his favourite playmaker’s name to his.
Valerenga reckoned Holm was one of the best midfielders in Europe during his formative years and there was genuine excitement when Celtic landed the then 20-year-old in a £2.5million deal.
Rodgers said upon his arrival: “He is a player who has been in the club’s scouting and recruitment system for some time.
“I have looked at him closely and believe he is someone who can make a big impact at the club.”
Holm had to bide his time for his opportunity in his first season after being sent off against Feyenoord during a 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam.
But his boss remained an ardent backer and was effusive in his praise before a start against Aberdeen – a 6-0 trouncing of which Holm only played 45 minutes.
Rodgers added: “I genuinely believe that over the course of his time here, he will prove to be a big talent, but he’s got to start some games and this is a nice opportunity for him.
“He’s got all the attributes in terms of being a top player. He needs to get physically stronger in terms of his upper body. But he can travel with the ball, he can see a pass and then he can make the pass. He’s obviously played a lot lower down the pitch in his short career so far.
“But he has that possibility to play higher up to get in the box and score goals because technically he’s very, very good and he has a nice little edge to him as well where he could put his foot in and make tackles.”
Holm’s minutes dried up and he’s been with MLS heavyweights LAFC since January.
But his Stateside adventure had led him off the beaten path where he is now a regular fixture for the club’s B team with his most recent game the 4-0 pasting of North Texas on August 25.
Holm’s skills and assists were a social media smash during his teenage years with his acrobatic tricks going viral.
And those videos appear a microcosm for his career to date, flashes of brilliance but lacking the consistency to truly make a telling impact.
A Celtic redemption arc appears unlikely but, perhaps, Holm was the right type of talent but plucked at the wrong time in a summer where everything went awry.