Celtic will raise their championship flag on a Monday evening rather than the traditional first Saturday of the season, as the club opens its title defence against Dundee at Parkhead.
The switch happened because Glasgow 2026 cycling events are taking place at the adjacent Sir Chris Hoy Arena over the weekend, while Calvin Harris is staging two concerts at Hampden. Authorities told Celtic there was no alternative. The flag-raising has fallen on the first Saturday of the season in 14 of the past 15 campaigns.
Wilson's promise of activity
In June, less than three weeks after Celtic won an unlikely league and cup double and shortly after confirmation that Martin O'Neill would remain in charge at the age of 74, interim chairman Brian Wilson promised the club would be "very active" with recruitment "in the coming weeks," while calling for unity among the fanbase. The trophies Celtic lifted had not masked a shambolic campaign in which three different men took charge over four spells and the fanbase and the board ended up at each other's throats.
Asked in a club interview whether O'Neill would be given resources to strengthen the squad, Wilson said: "Absolutely, and that is very much part of the basis on which he's wanted to come back and we've wanted him to come back. It's going to be a very active next few weeks, and we must come out of it with a stronger squad. We had a lot of very, very good players, so we want to not only retain that strength but also to build on it."
Only two signings so far
So far this summer, Celtic have signed two players: Colombian forward Camilo Duran and Norwegian forward Kasper Hogh, for a combined £17 million. Duran scored five goals for Qarabag in last season's Champions League, while Hogh scored five for Bodo/Glimt and arrived for a club-record fee.
The transfer window remains open until September 3, but those two signings are the sum total of Celtic's incoming business as Dundee visit Parkhead. Poor recruitment last season contributed directly to a Champions League play-off defeat to Kairat Almaty.
Departures outpacing arrivals
Daizen Maeda, who was outstanding in the run of seven straight wins that secured last season's title, has already left for Ipswich, a deal worth £10 million. Arne Engels is expected to move to West Ham or Nottingham Forest once Celtic's valuation is met, and Everton have a bid incoming for Alistair Johnston.
Cameron Carter-Vickers has returned, giving O'Neill his first chance to work with him, but Jota is not expected back until October, by which point he will have been out for 18 months.
Targets still in the market
O'Neill wants a better goalkeeper than Viljami Sinisalo and cover at left back for Kieran Tierney. With Maeda gone, his main options on the flank are Hyun-jun Yang, 35-year-old James Forrest and Seb Tounekti, while Michel-Ange Balikwisha, a £4.5 million signing, appears to have fallen out of his plans.
Celtic have shown strong interest in Real Oviedo's Egyptian winger Haissem Hassan and are back in for Fares Ghedjemis, who plays on the flank for Italian side Frosinone. The club has also been haggling over a transfer fee for Paderborn central midfielder Mika Baur for three weeks.
A Champions League draw looms
Celtic's Champions League play-off opponent will be confirmed today, with Azerbaijan's Sabah and Norway's Viking Stavanger among the possible draws. The club has a fortnight to prepare, alongside league games against Kilmarnock, Falkirk and Aberdeen and a Premier Sports Cup tie with Dundee United.
Uncertainty over key players
There is an acceptance that Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo may move on, while a late bid for Benjamin Nygren, who scored 21 goals last season on his way to the World Cup, cannot be ruled out.
Captain Callum McGregor's future also remains unsettled. He said last week that he wanted to stay at the club, but has previously made clear that his commitment is contingent on the hierarchy matching his ambition, with interest from Saudi Arabia still in play through former Celtic managers Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou.
