Friday was no different, as he confirmed he wants to keep Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels at Celtic for next month’s crucial Champions League playoff amid interest from England.
Martin O’Neill is gearing up for another season in charge of Celtic. (Image: Roddy Scott/Shutterstock)
“In an ideal world, I would love to do that,” O’Neill said. “But things can happen very, very quickly.
“We’d like to have as strong a squad as possible for those Champions League games.”
Everton manager David Moyes phoned O’Neill to discuss interest in right-back Johnston, who impressed at the World Cup for Canada.
The 27-year-old is contracted at Celtic Park until the summer of 2029. O’Neill spoke to Johnston amid news of Everton’s pursuit.
“I’ve spoken to him on the back of the interest,” the Celtic manager continued. “Again, it was one of those where Alistair is perfectly happy here at the football club.
“But like anything else, your head can get turned very quickly, particularly if it’s a really good club.
“He wouldn’t leave here for a second-class Premier League club, if there is such a thing, but if a big, big club comes in, it’s something you would have to look at. And I think it’s only natural as well. If I were a player, I’d be exactly the same.”
Has Johnston expressed a desire to swap Glasgow for Merseyside?
“Whether I like it or not, I bet you agents will be doing that, one way or the other,” O’Neill added. “That was amazing actually that David should actually speak to me, I think that’s only knowing each other for some time. He was preparing me that something might be happening.
“They’ll [Everton] have done their homework. But I just felt when he was doing well at the World Cup that it meant he was over the injury he’d had.
“We only had him at the back end of last season, and he showed how good he is – he did great. I shouldn’t really be surprised.”
Nor should O’Neill be surprised at interest in Engels. The Belgian midfielder joined Celtic from Bundesliga club Augsburg two years ago for a then-record £11 million transfer fee.
The 22-year-old has since recorded 98 appearances in green-and-white hoops, winning two Scottish Premiership titles, one Scottish Cup, and one League Cup.
Celtic rejected a bid in excess of £25m from Nottingham Forest for Engels at the end of January.
“I think there’s definitely truth in that,” O’Neill said of West Ham United’s interest in Engels. “I think there’s been something put in that hasn’t remotely made our valuation for a start.”
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Whether the London club return to the table with another offer remains to be seen. If he does eventually depart, as widely expected, Celtic, like Johnston, must find a suitable replacement.
“That is the whole recruitment,” O’Neill explained. “If some good players go, you’re trying to replace them.
“And in fairness to the recruitment side, they are very diligent. Seriously, they are.
“There are options, some that might be well and truly beyond us, might be silly, there might be more interest in trying to keep a player here rather than develop the option.
“We’re working with things. Some things we thought that we were well down the line with have been thwarted by things that were actually outside our control, believe it or not. I won’t go into detail.
“There are a couple of things that are progressing pretty well as we speak.
“But overall, the recruitment staff hand me information all of the time. It’s collaborative, whereas 25 years ago it wasn’t. I just did it myself.”
Celtic have already spent the guts of £17m on strike duo Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh this summer. Yet O’Neill remains keen to strengthen his frontline beyond that.
Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis has re-emerged as a target, after a January move to Glasgow’s East End collapsed.
The Algerian international scored 15 goals and provided three assists in Italy’s Serie B last season.
“We have a very, very strong interest in him,” O’Neill said. “I don’t know how close we can get, but we are genuinely making really good progress.
Celtic have renewed their interest in Fares Ghedjemis. (Image: Getty)
“I’ve got plenty of confidence that we can get the players in. We actually have spoken to other targets, yes. There is a definite strong willingness for players to want to come to the football club, which is very encouraging.
“Some other ones who might be using you to try and force a move into the Premier League or something, fine. You can see through that quite quickly.
“But at the end of it all, yes, I’m hopeful because I think there’s a strong willingness for deals to be done.”
That willingness extends to the left-back position, where Celtic need cover for Kieran Tierney.
Marcelo Saracchi confirmed in a statement via Instagram that he would not return to Glasgow after his loan spell last season, but with a move to MLS side Houston Dynamo recently collapsing, O’Neill left the door ajar.
“Kieran [Tierney] will be our first choice left back and we need someone to fill in the position,” he added. “I don’t want to throw anything into the melting pot, but [Marcelo] Saracchi hasn’t gone anywhere yet, has he? Well, there we go.”
Celtic return to competitive action on Monday evening as they face Dundee in their Scottish Premiership season opener.