Martin O'Neill expressed genuine satisfaction with the players Celtic have added this summer, and Derek McInnes insisted that the current composition of the Rangers dressing‑room matches the profile he has been seeking. Celtic’s transfer activity surged in the final two days of the window, with six of the ten signings arriving in the last 48 hours. Meanwhile, McInnes completed a further two deadline‑day deals, bringing the total number of new faces at Ibrox to fourteen.
Among the arrivals, Dutch midfielder Joel van den Berg made the move from PSV Eindhoven, and Swiss full‑back Jordan Lotomba joined from Feyenoord just before the UEFA registration deadline on Wednesday night. Celtic also secured loan agreements for Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, Parma midfielder Oliver Sorensen, and a pair of 18‑year‑old Chelsea prospects, Shim Mheuka and Landon Emenalo. Because of UEFA’s strict squad limits, the Chelsea loanees and van den Berg were excluded from Celtic’s Europa League roster.
"I’m delighted to get players," O’Neill said. "Genuinely pleased. The difficulty is that you only have to look at the UEFA list.
Some young lads will be disappointed not being able to make that particular UEFA squad. So there’s only so many places that we could fill. If we can avoid serious injury to the players here, people not being out for endless lengths of time, then I’m happy with it." While Celtic’s league rivals had largely completed their business earlier, the Glasgow champions were still addressing obvious gaps – most notably the need for a backup to the injured left‑back Kieran Tierney after the club’s Champions League campaign ended.
When asked about the timing of the signings, O’Neill replied, "How many times are you going to ask me that each week? We started this in July time.
So I’m pleased with the players that we’ve got in. We’ve got them in and I genuinely want to get on with it now. Ideally it would be great to have got players in earlier to get them bedded in.
It doesn’t matter. Happy, really happy to have the players that we have." He was also questioned about the missed opportunity of signing Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis.
The 74‑year‑old manager shrugged it off: "No, I’m really pleased with what we have now at this minute. So, honestly, not a problem." Lotomba’s contract runs only until the end of the season, and O’Neill admitted he sometimes worries about the loyalty of loan players. "I sometimes concern myself about loan players coming in and maybe not seeing the club that they’re going to as the club that they really want to play for," he said, noting that Julian Araujo had embraced Celtic last season and gave everything for the badge.
"Loans are sometimes a bit of a concern, but it depends on the player." Switching focus to Rangers, McInnes confessed he let out "a huge sigh of relief" when the transfer window finally shut on Thursday evening. The club added 22‑year‑old Venezuelan striker Kevin Kelsy from the Portland Timbers on a four‑year deal (with an optional fifth year) reportedly worth around £9.5 million. Algerian winger Badredine Bouanani arrived on a season‑long loan from Stuttgart, and both newcomers were named in the squad for the upcoming Scottish Premiership clash with Motherwell. "We all took a huge sigh of relief when the window closed yesterday and we get on with the job in hand," McInnes said, adding that left‑back Tuur Rommens would return to full training after recovering from a groin strain ahead of the two forthcoming Celtic fixtures.
"It feels like I’ve been to war this window, to be honest. It feels like the longest window I’ve ever known. There’s always so much to consider." He emphasized his desire for players who are committed to Rangers rather than constantly looking over their shoulders. "At Rangers, I don’t want to work with players who just see what’s next and what’s next after this, always maybe eagerly eyeing up other opportunities.
I want people who want to be here, who want to hang about the club for a period of time and want to be successful here. This club can provide so much opportunity and so many good moments for a player, manager and the like. I just want us to commit to being here and put all our focus on the club. The club is deserving of that.
The players are deserving of each other, to get that tightness and closeness." McInnes praised the recent atmosphere in the Rangers dressing‑room, describing it as “a football dressing‑room” where humour, togetherness and a shared work ethic prevail. He believes this camaraderie is crucial when the team faces adversity or disappointing results. "Equally, we’ve bounced back really well in two tough away games (wins at Falkirk and Aberdeen).
That spirit and togetherness helps you get through difficult times, and you need that at any club, but particularly here." He also highlighted the youthfulness of the squad, noting both the excitement and the learning curve that comes with a young group. "We are a very young dressing‑room. That is exciting and there is a lot of potential, but there are also lots of learnings for these young boys.
It’s our job to help them fulfil that potential in a Rangers shirt, day in and day out. I just want the players not to waste their minutes or opportunities. Whether they’re picked or training, don’t see any day as a lazy day.
We’re not going to accept bad practice here. Every day has to be important. You train with motivation, professionally, and as if you’re trying to get into the team on a Saturday."