Celtic Transfer Plans: Duran Arrival and Carter-Vickers Return

Martin O’Neill insists Celtic’s summer will not drift by in a haze of frustration. The manager expects the club’s transfer window to finally spark into life, with Camilo Duran set to become the first significant arrival – and a pointed answer to growing unease in the stands.

Duran deal close as fans demand action

Duran, 24, has completed his medical and is poised to join from Qarabag for a fee in the region of £6m. Celtic see the forward as a player entering his prime, fresh from an eye-catching 2025-26 campaign in which he scored five goals in the Champions League.

For a support base that has watched the weeks tick by with little movement, he represents more than just a new face. He is a signal that the window is finally creaking open.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already committed to another year, extending his stay after arriving on a short-term deal in January. The veteran midfielder offers experience and versatility, but the renewal did little to quiet the noise around Celtic’s lack of fresh blood.

The discontent is real. A title defence looms. So does a Champions League qualifier. Supporters want to see a squad built to dominate domestically and stand up to Europe’s elite, not one patched around the edges.

O’Neill knows it.

“We have a number of players that we’re looking at,” he said. “We’ve had a number of offers in for players as well too at the same time.

“And I’m hoping in the not-too-distant future, and I mean maybe in the next couple of weeks, that we will have some really decent players at the football club to add to the very decent players we have at the football club.”

The message is clear: the lull is temporary. The manager expects the market to move, and soon.

Carter-Vickers back from the brink

On the pitch, there was a more immediate boost. Cameron Carter-Vickers pulled on a Celtic shirt again, a quietly significant moment in a 1-1 draw with Shelbourne that featured late penalties for both sides.

The United States international played the first half, his first appearance since October after rupturing his Achilles in a Europa League win over Sturm Graz.

“At first, I just thought I had a bit of cramp in my calf,” he recalled. The physios quickly feared the worst. They were right.

From there, it became a long, lonely road. A cast for three weeks. A boot for eight. No proper movement in his foot at the start. Progress measured in millimetres, not miles.

For Carter-Vickers, the battle was as much mental as physical. He spoke of “chasing small gains” and taking every minor improvement as a win, refusing to look too far ahead while he rebuilt his body step by step.

Now he is back, and that matters. A fit, commanding Carter-Vickers changes the complexion of Celtic’s defence. His return offers O’Neill something priceless in pre-season: a cornerstone to build around while the recruitment department tries to reshape what sits in front and beside him.

Sutton’s stark warning: spend big or get left behind

If there was any temptation to bask in last season’s title triumph, Chris Sutton quickly cut through it. The former Celtic striker believes the club faces a summer of hard decisions and heavy spending if it wants to keep its grip on the Premiership and make a dent in Europe.

“Martin worked wonders last season. I didn’t see Celtic winning the title from the position which he was put in on a couple of occasions,” he told Sky Sports News.

“I mean, the run towards the end of the season was extraordinary but I still think you can’t get away from the fact there needs to be a lot of change at Celtic in terms of recruitment.”

The warning shot landed with force.

Celtic’s Champions League qualifier looms large, a financial and footballing crossroads. Sutton pointed out what many inside the club already know: the title win, thrilling as it was, masked long spells of struggle.

“They’ve got the Champions League qualifier which is really important and, however exciting it was for Celtic fans to end up getting over the line last season, you can’t get away from the fact that Celtic struggled at times throughout the season. Martin will be looking to, I’m sure, bring players in.”

Then came the uncomfortable part. Who leaves?

“It’ll be interesting to see who goes out from Celtic. It looks like Reo Hatate will go, possibly Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels but they’re big players for the team. Who are Celtic going to replace those type of players with?

“Celtic are possibly going to have to spend up to or more than £50m really because the squad does need a rebuild.”

That figure – £50m and potentially more – hangs over the summer like a challenge. It underlines the scale of the task facing O’Neill and the board. Replace key men. Add quality. Do it quickly enough that the team is ready for August, not October.

Dundee opener sets the clock ticking

The countdown has already started. Celtic begin their Scottish Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on August 3, a Monday night under the lights, live on Sky Sports with a 7.30pm kick-off.

By then, Duran should be in the building. Oxlade-Chamberlain will be embedded. Carter-Vickers, fitness permitting, will be edging closer to his old rhythm.

But that will not be enough on its own.

The champions go into a season where standing still is not an option. With rivals strengthening and Europe demanding more than plucky resistance, Celtic’s summer cannot simply be about one clever signing and a feel-good injury comeback.

The window is open. The money, Sutton insists, must follow. Now the question hangs over Glasgow: will Celtic truly rebuild, or risk finding out the hard way what last season’s title was really built on?