CELTIC CLOSE IN ON TRANSFER ‘TARGET’ AS O’NEILL’S WORLD CUP SCOUTING MISSION COULD LAND THE HOOPS A SIGNING DOUBLE
Martin O’Neill is wasting no time.
With the transfer window open and Celtic’s midfield needing serious reinforcement, the Hoops boss has been doing his homework at the World Cup — and it looks like that scouting trip could deliver not one, but two signings from the same international squad.
Celtic are keeping tabs on Bosnia and Herzegovina international midfielder Ivan Basic, as they brace themselves for a summer of major interest in key man Arne Engels. The Belgian has been one of the standout performers in Scotland, and with Nottingham Forest and Sunderland said to be preparing £25 million bids, O’Neill knows he needs to move fast to plug what could be a significant gap in the middle of the park.
Basic isn’t a name that’ll be immediately familiar to most Celtic fans, but the numbers and the profile are worth paying attention to. The 24-year-old plays his club football for Astana in Kazakhstan and has been closely watched by Celtic during the World Cup. He’s been part of a Bosnia and Herzegovina side that arrived at this tournament with genuine ambition, and O’Neill’s scouts have had front row seats.
What makes this story even more interesting is who else is on Celtic’s radar. The Hoops have been heavily linked with Brondby midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic, and now his international partner Basic is also reportedly being targeted by O’Neill. Both players started Bosnia and Herzegovina’s opening group game against host nation Canada, forming the midfield double pivot — which tells you everything about how well they understand each other’s game.
The context here matters. Celtic’s midfield options are described as slim heading into the new season. Callum McGregor, Luke McCowan, Paulo Bernardo, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels are currently the only contracted players in that position at the club. Hatate is widely expected to depart, while Engels continues to attract interest from elsewhere — leaving O’Neill with an urgent need to get bodies in.
Signing two players who already play together at international level would be a smart piece of business. There’s no bedding-in period, no waiting for combinations to click. They arrive knowing each other’s runs, knowing each other’s tendencies. That kind of shortcut matters when you’re trying to hit the ground running in a Champions League campaign.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s next fixture comes against Switzerland on Thursday, June 18 — a match Celtic’s scouting team will almost certainly be monitoring closely. Every minute both players are on that World Cup stage is either raising their price or strengthening the case for O’Neill to pull the trigger.
Celtic look like they’ve identified their targets. Now it’s about getting the deals done before someone else does.
About the Author
