The damning verdict on Celtic’s signings under Mark Lawwell’s watch

Celtic have a lot to do in this January transfer window, and the sheer amount of work needed to improve the first team is mostly due to the poor transfer activity in the summer transfer window.

If you want to look at the bigger picture, however, the problem with the club’s transfer philosophy goes back even further to the summer of 2022.

Celtic seemed to have a winning transfer formula when Ange Postecoglou was hand-picking the talent that was coming into the club, but with Mark Lawwell’s arrival, the hit to miss ratio has been shot to pieces.

That has been the general consensus amongst Celtic supporters, anyway, but just how bad has it actually been?

2022/23

Alexandro Bernabei – Miss

Off-field issues as well as a lack of defensive awareness on the field has seen the Argentine on his way out the exit door less than two years after joining the club.

Alistair Johnston – Hit

The Canadian was signed to replace Josip Juranovic and has become a mainstay and a fan favourite in this Celtic squad as he continues to rise to the biggest of occasions.

Oh Hyeon-gyu – Hit

Not a clear hit but the South Korean forward has a lot of potential and is an effective deputy for Kyogo Furuhashi whenever called upon.

Sead Haksabanovic – Miss

He showed flashes of brilliance but not on a consistent basis, and frustration at a lack of playing time led to him being loaned out to Stoke City in the summer.

Oliver Abildgaard – Miss

Celtic paid £1million for the Dane on loan from Rubin Kazan and he hardly ever featured. His loan was terminated just 6 months later.

Aaron Mooy – Hit

An effective and experienced player who was vitally important for Celtic securing the league title last season, especially in the winter months where he really came to life.

Benjamin Siegrist – Miss

Signed as a backup, he has become third choice with Scott Bain currently sitting ahead of him in the pecking order.

Yuki Kobayashi – Miss

Another signing who looks to be on their way out already. Error-strewn, nervy performances in important matches sealed his fate just a matter of months after joining the club.

Moritz Jenz – Miss

Another loan deal which was cut short just 6 months after signing, Jenz was a mixed bag whenever he played for Celtic.

Tomoki Iwata – Hit

A solid option for shoring games up whenever he is brought on, fans have been clamouring to see more of Tomoki Iwata and we expect to see more when he returns from injury.

2023/24

Maik Nawrocki – Undecided

An injury early on saw the Pole fall out of the team and he struggled to make an impact during the first half of the season. With Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh injured, Nawrocki entered the cauldron of the recent Glasgow Derby and gave the gaffer some food for thought in the second half of this campaign.

Luis Palma – Hit

The Honduran has been registering some great numbers since signing for the club. Most importantly, he performed well in the Champions League, something which has become something of a rarity with our latest signings.

Gustaf Lagerbielke – Miss

Signed for £3million in the summer, just 6 months later the club are already looking to sell him.

Odin Thiago Holm – Undecided

The Norwegian hasn’t been able to make a real impact on the team despite having a lot of potential to improve.

Yang Hyun-jun – Undecided

Still an incredibly raw player but with a lot of potential, there will need to be a lot of development in Yang’s game if he is to be a Celtic quality player.

Marco Tilio – Miss

The Aussie has only briefly featured twice for Celtic since signing. A loan move back to his homeland could be on the cards already with Tilio suffering from homesickness.

Kwon Hyeok-kyu – Miss

A move that looks like £1million down the drain, Kwon hasn’t seen a single minute of competitive action for Celtic.

Nat Phillips – Miss

A couple of shaky performances during his loan spell, along with the resurgence of Liam Scales, ensured that the centre-half returned to Liverpool after his initial 6-month loan spell.

Paulo Bernardo – Hit

The Portuguese midfielder was initially used sparingly in domestic games, but was preferred in the Champions League. brendan Rodgers clearly saw his talent and it came to the fore in the games leading to the break. His opening goal against Rangers was nothing short of sensational and, like Nawrocki, this is a summer signing that might have turned a corner.

Hit Rate = 6 / 19

JAMES MCKENZIE // Follow James HERE