Martin O’Neill has returned to Celtic after the club parted company with Wilfried Nancy earlier this month. It may have been easier to write off the Nancy spell as a bad dream, but real damage has been caused by a run of poor results.
Celtic currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership, lower than they would likely have been had O’Neill remained in charge. On Saturday, the semi-new era got underway with a 4–0 win over Dundee United.
Yang Hyun-jun, Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren and Daizen Maeda all found the net for Celtic as they transformed despair into renewed belief.
O’Neill will now take charge at Celtic Park until at least the end of the current campaign.
The manager has several attacking options at his disposal, including Daizen Maeda. On Boxing Day, reports from Turkey claimed Trabzonspor had earmarked him as a surprise target for the winter window.
Celtic are keen to retain Maeda and are also exploring fresh options in the market. FC Nantes forward Mohamed Bamba has emerged as a January target.
That is according to Ouest-France, who have detailed the Scottish club’s interest in the striker.
The Ivorian has featured for 722 minutes across 16 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring three times and supplying two assists. He was not included in the squad for Nantes’ Coupe de France victory over Hauts Lyonnais at the weekend.
Celtic advance for 24-year-old’s transfer
Celtic are prepared to offer him a way out and have made moves to bring the 24-year-old into O’Neill’s squad.
The report claims the Bhoys have submitted a proposal to land Bamba on loan with an option to buy. The player was omitted from the squad as a form of internal ‘sanction’.
Ouest-France do not state whether Bamba is willing to make the move to Celtic Park. Having slipped down the pecking order at Nantes, he is likely to be open to a change of scenery this month.
And Celtic now represent a far more appealing destination than they did a few weeks ago. This deal could gather pace quickly.