Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is optimistic about adding new players to his squad ahead of next weekend’s Scottish Premiership encounter with league leaders Hearts.

O’Neill, who has enjoyed a perfect domestic start to the season, confirmed that Celtic are actively looking to bolster their squad as they aim to maintain their dominance in the Scottish Premiership.

Recent Signings

So far this month, Celtic have successfully secured full-back Julian Araujo on loan from Bournemouth, providing additional depth in defence. However, speculation about a potential move for West Ham striker Callum Wilson, the 33-year-old England international, has been dismissed by O’Neill.

“I hadn’t thought about that, not that he’s not a very fine player, but I thought he was going elsewhere anyway,” O’Neill commented on Wilson. “For want of telling you, it was actually news to me at the time. But we are in search of those elusive goalscorers, although we’re not the only team looking.”

O’Neill suggested that the club is close to finalizing more transfers, describing the ongoing negotiations as “making progress.”

“Remarkably, I think we are getting closer. I dread these interviews because of the constant transfer questions. I just like the natter; it’s good fun. But I can’t wait until early February—it might change the narrative,” O’Neill said.

Transfer Strategy

The Celtic boss emphasized the importance of strengthening the squad. “It’s absolutely essential to recruit. We can’t change the squad for the Bologna game on Thursday, but I’d like to have some new players in place for the Hearts game if at all possible. While I don’t expect signings this weekend, I’m hopeful we’ll have people on board by next week.”

Scottish Cup Preparations

O’Neill is also preparing for Celtic’s Scottish Cup tie against Auchinleck Talbot, to be held at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock on Sunday, 18 January at 17:30 GMT. Fans can follow live coverage on BBC Radio Scotland Extra, with text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, and highlights available on BBC One Scotland and iPlayer from 22:30.

Reflecting on his first tenure at Celtic from 2000 to 2005, O’Neill acknowledged the highs and lows he experienced in the Scottish Cup. His final match during that spell was Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Dundee United in the 2005 Scottish Cup final, a win that came a week after narrowly missing the SPL title to Rangers.

“That final win was terrific, though the Motherwell game was still fresh in my mind. It would be wonderful to finish this current spell back at Hampden in the Scottish Cup final,” O’Neill said.

Moving the Tie to Rugby Park

The Scottish Cup tie has been relocated from Talbot’s Beechwood Park to Rugby Park, a familiar venue for Celtic. O’Neill admitted that while some might be disappointed with the change, he sees advantages.

“If I wasn’t manager of Celtic, I’d be disappointed. But as manager, I’m actually quite pleased. It’s a solid surface, and our team needs to perform better than we did the other night on the plastic pitch. Perhaps the new venue might help level things out a bit.”

O’Neill praised Auchinleck Talbot as a strong junior side with players who perform at a high level. “This is not a junior team you can take lightly. They’ve made a brilliant effort to get this far and have some very decent attributes. We’ll need to be careful and fully prepared.”

Looking Ahead

As Celtic continue their January transfer business and prepare for key fixtures in both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, O’Neill remains focused on strengthening his squad and maintaining the club’s domestic dominance. Fans will be watching closely to see which new faces could arrive at Celtic Park in the coming week.