Javi Rodriguez of Real Club Celta Vigo scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and Celta Vigo at Celtic Park on October 22, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
In those four matches Celtic has scored four goals and conceded 14 and have exited the Champions League, dropped in the Europa League where after three matches they are second bottom on the table and completely pointless.
It clear that Celtic require quality additions in January but the first hurdle is the Celtic Board who will be once again anxious to retain the money in the PLC bank account while potential signing targets may themselves be more reluctant due to the club's woes in European football with players like Cameron Carter-Vicker and on Thursday night Mika Baur questioning how the team is shaped.
Celtic pose for a team photograph before the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and Celta Vigo at Celtic Park on October 22, 2026 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Chris Sutton, writing in his weekly column in Daily Record made his point. "It's bleedingly obvious Celtic are going to need reinforcements in January to sort out the glaring deficiencies in this squad. But here's a big question? What decent player is going to want to come to a club that is seemingly happy to be European also-rans at best and whipping boys at worst?"
The former Celtic striker and Sky Sports pundit added: "It's going to be a harder sell if they are already out of the competition with games to go and looking like a club with very little ambition to do much about it in the future.
"And the same goes for hanging on to their decent players. If a big bid comes in for someone like Duran, why wouldn't he jump ship if it's a club that is going places?
Liam Scales of Celtic reacts during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and Real Club Celta Vigo at Celtic Park on October 22, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
"That might sound harsh, but how else can you view it after Thursday night.It was desperate. Celtic fans wanted a team that could compete in the Champions League. Instead they have one that keeps getting embarrassed in the second tier.
"They would have been better off doing a Derek McInnes and getting bombed out of Europe altogether."
Celtic though will still make a minimum of £15m from their European campaign this season regardless of the results, while the latest Ibrox club stand to collect approximately £300k for their defeats in the qualifiers for both the Europa and Conference leagues.
That is going to bite.
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Celtic in the Fifties by Matt Corr, in two volumes, both published on 4th September 2026 by Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.
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