Celtic’s defining summer: the real test starts now

The double is won. The celebrations were deserved. But now Celtic enter what could be the most important summer the club has faced in years.

Martin O’Neill deserves enormous credit for steadying the club and delivering success in difficult circumstances. His experience, authority and connection to Celtic brought calm when the season threatened to drift. Many supporters would happily see him stay for another year to provide stability.

But sentiment alone cannot decide the future.

At 74, does O’Neill still have the energy for another long rebuild and Champions League campaign? Or do Celtic move in a different direction with names like Robbie Keane or Craig Bellamy being discussed? Perhaps the club once again looks for a bold, left-field appointment in the mould of Ange Postecoglou.

Keane’s candidacy may divide opinion. While some admire his football background and attacking mentality, others may feel uncomfortable with his recent management spell in Israel during a period of major political tension. Celtic supporters have always been socially and politically engaged, meaning any appointment would come with strong debate.

That debate is natural.

Every Celtic supporter will have different opinions on managers, players and recruitment strategy. Some want continuity, others want a fresh start. But despite those differences, every fan ultimately wants the same thing – a successful, ambitious Celtic competing at the highest level possible.

The problem is that this summer requires far more than ambition. It requires competence.

There could be close to twenty players leaving either permanently or on loan. Key figures such as Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Arne Engels and Nygren may attract serious bids, while rumours continue linking Callum McGregor with Saudi Arabia. Add in loan players returning to their parent clubs and the scale of the rebuild becomes obvious.

This demands planning and urgency.

Unfortunately, recent history gives supporters little confidence in the current board.

Too often Celtic have entered crucial seasons unprepared. Last summer’s chaos, late recruitment and reluctance to properly invest despite more than £70 million in the bank nearly derailed the entire campaign. The humiliating Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty exposed the consequences of poor planning and executive dysfunction.

The warning signs were there long before that.

Supporters watched the club create unnecessary division through battles with the Green Brigade and fan media, poor communication and AGMs being closed down early when difficult questions were raised. The Wilfried Nancy debacle only strengthened the perception of a boardroom that feels outdated, defensive and disconnected from the support.

Too many roles feel like jobs for the boys rather than appointments based on elite expertise.

And too often criticism is treated as hostility rather than accountability.

Dermot Desmond is not the owner of Celtic Football Club. He is a shareholder. The custodians of Celtic should never forget who truly sustains the club: the supporters.

The fans are Celtic.

They invest more emotionally and financially into the club than anyone in the boardroom. They were here before the current directors arrived and they will remain long after they leave.

That is why communication matters now more than ever.

Season tickets are about to go on sale, yet supporters still lack clarity on the manager, recruitment strategy and long-term direction of the club. Fans deserve transparency and leadership, not silence and last-minute panic.

The double cannot hide the deeper structural problems that remain behind the scenes.

This summer will define the next phase of Celtic’s future. The right manager must be appointed quickly. Recruitment must be intelligent, ambitious and completed early enough for players to settle before Champions League qualifiers begin.

Most importantly, the club must reconnect with its support.

When Celtic are united – fans, players, manager and club alike – they are at their strongest. The support are ready to move forward together.

The question is whether the board are finally ready to do the same.