O’Neill confirms he is “very interested” in signing former Arsenal and England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and has held talks with the 32-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving Besiktas last summer.
However, O’Neill says Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been training with Arsenal, has “lots of options, some closer to London too” and the Celtic boss is “surprised teams haven’t already teed him up”.
Celtic are not currently speaking to any other out-of-contract players.
Having signed three players on deadline day, O’Neill is “happy” with Celtic’s business, adding: “It’s nice to get a few people in, in different positions. I think they can help in the manner in which I think the two new arrivals who have played some games for us have done really fine.”
O’Neill is “delighted” the board made a “major statement” by turning down bids rising to £25m from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels: “It’s really tempting. And it’s come at a very, very late stage from that viewpoint. So real, great credit to them.”
Asked if the board spoke to him about the Engels offer, the Northern Irishman says: “No, absolutely not. Not at all. No, they turned it down before telling me.”
Engels didn’t “kick up a fuss” at the move being blocked and O’Neill says “we can re-look at things in the summer”.
O’Neill did not feel the need to speak to Engels, saying: “I think his agent was happy enough with the situation. He said this is it, Arne is happy here, he wants to see what the season will bring at the end.”
After adding five players in total, O’Neill was asked if he has the squad to win the title, replying: “My view is exactly the same as it was when I arrived here. We’re chasing. And at the end of it all, we’re behind. It’s in Hearts’ hands, we’ve got no room for error.”
On newly-signed winger Joel Mvuka, whose from Lorient became a loan deal after a reported issue in his medical, O’Neill says: “I’m not going into any great detail, I don’t think that that’s right. But it has ended like that there. He’s fine, everyone is happy with the way that it has materialised. And we’ll see. He’s a really great lad and if his football matches his character, we’re in business.”
On fan frustration over Celtic not buying any players in the window, O’Neill says they had “a deal set up” for Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis but he “chose to stay”.
The Celtic boss adds: “Those things happen in the game. It happens from 1 January, it happens on the 24th and it happens late on. So that does happen, it’s happened every single time. You can have things set up and be thwarted.”