Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has downplayed the likelihood of fresh additions to his squad before Wednesday's Champions League play-off first leg against LASK at home, while also giving his backing to midfielder Reo Hatate to remain at the club.
The Scottish champions have already been busy in the transfer market this summer, with new arrivals Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh impressing since joining, while Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan have also recently come through the door at Parkhead. However, with Tuesday night's deadline fast approaching, O'Neill suggested supporters should not expect any further business.
"There's a fairly decent chance of nothing happening," O'Neill said when asked about the prospect of late incomings before the crucial European tie.
The comments come just days after Celtic sanctioned the departure of midfielder Arne Engels to West Ham United. O'Neill acknowledged the challenge of replacing the Belgian's energy and mobility in midfield, particularly with LASK looming on the horizon. "It would have been nice to have kept Arne for the couple of games, because he knows the players, knows his role in the team," the manager explained. "But it's not to be. We'll have someone else in there."
With options limited in the middle of the park, O'Neill hinted that Baur could be handed a starting role against the Austrian side. The German only made his Celtic bow as a substitute during Sunday's comprehensive 4-0 victory at Dundee United, coming on in the 59th minute. His potential involvement is compounded by the suspension of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, leaving O'Neill with a selection headache in that area of the pitch. "It might be Baur, I'm not sure yet. He's just getting to know the team," O'Neill added.
Another alternative for the manager is Hatate, though the Japanese international remains without a start this season and has been an unused substitute in Celtic's opening fixtures. In fact, the 28-year-old has not featured from the first whistle since a 2-0 defeat away to Dundee United back in April, a stretch that reflects a dip in form for a player once considered among the finest talents in Scottish football.
Hatate, who arrived at Celtic Park in 2022 and still has two years remaining on his contract, has enjoyed considerable success in Glasgow, collecting five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups during his time at the club. Despite his recent struggles for game time, O'Neill made clear he sees no issue with the midfielder staying and fighting for a regular starting berth.
"It's been a bit of a struggle for him [of late]," O'Neill admitted. "What I would love Reo to do is get back to the form he showed a couple of years ago when he was one of the best players in Scotland."
The Celtic boss also confirmed that interest from elsewhere has been registered regarding Hatate's future, though nothing concrete has materialized. "There have been [transfer] enquiries, but nothing definitive. That may well happen," O'Neill said, before reiterating his openness to keeping the player at the club. "If Reo wants to stay and battle for his place in the team and says he's capable of doing it, I have no problem with that."
Attention now turns to Wednesday's high-stakes encounter with LASK, a fixture that could shape Celtic's European campaign for the season ahead.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.