Celtic lining up move to sign Parkhead’s biggest talent since Matt O’Riley

Celtic are still revelling in a remarkable end to a turbulent 2025/26 season, but there’s still so much to sort out at Parkhead, so much potential change in store.

The question remains as to whether the club hierarchy will stick or twist with Martin O’Neill, the 74-year-old having worked wonders to steer a flawed, injury-hit squad to a domestic double.

Whether it is O’Neill in charge or not, the eventual success of this season can’t mask the need for seismic reinforcement from back to front, with a raft of departures also set to be on the cards.

In truth, it feels as if an Ange Postecoglou-style overhaul is needed in Glasgow, with work already underway amid the search for new signings.

Celtic readying move to sign 2025 target at Parkhead

It’s already gearing up for an intriguing summer for the Premiership’s elite, with the first major move of the window set to be Lawrence Shankland’s imminent switch to Rangers.

The Gers appear to be targeting Scottish or SPFL-proven signings, while both they and Celtic could be in the market for the same targets, amid their interest in Motherwell star, Elijah Just.

The New Zealand international could supply the Hoops with a fresh creative spark, be it from the right flank or a number ten role, although he isn’t the only potential option on the club’s shortlist.

Indeed, as reported by The Herald’s Stephen McGowan, Celtic could be set to revive their interest in Go Ahead Eagles star, Jakob Breum, following prior interest in the player last year.

The champions did see a succession of bids knocked back for the 22-year-old in 2025, although they could come to the table again this time around, alongside parallel interest in January target, Kasper Hogh.

In Breum’s case, the suggestion last summer was that Celtic would have to cough up around £6m in order to get a deal over the line.

Why Breum could be Celtic’s biggest talent since O’Riley

There’s no getting away from it, the recruitment of the past three years, since Postecoglou’s exit, has been wretched, with the likes of Nicolas Kuhn and Benjamin Nygren representing the only significant success stories.

Kuhn’s spell only lasted 18 months, however, while for Nygren, the free-scoring Swede was prolific in his debut campaign, yet remains a polarising figure due to his lack of mobility and physicality, so often drifting in and out of games.

Equally, neither of that pair come close to the levels achieved by the club’s biggest marquee sale of recent years, in the form of Matt O’Riley, the Denmark international leaving on a £25m deal in 2024, following a stellar two-and-a-half years in Glasgow.

Operating in an advanced midfield role, the elegant left-footer was so influential under both Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, scoring and assisting 62 goals in 142 games in all competitions.

Plucked from MK Dons on a bargain £1.5m deal in January 2022, the then 21-year-old blossomed into a star in green and white, the talisman in his final season under Rodgers.

Hopefully, young Breum could be set for a similar trajectory if he is to trade the Netherlands for Scotland, having enjoyed a fine run of form already in recent years.

Still just 22, the versatile playmaker – who typically operates in a number ten role – has racked up a wealth of experience with his current side, scoring and assisting 37 times in just 105 games.

The young Dane – who is waiting to join O’Riley at senior level for his country – mirrors his compatriot as offering both a goalscoring threat himself but also a real creative spark, having scored six goals and registered five assists in the Eredivisie this season.

He also averaged a stellar 1.9 key passes per game and created 12 ‘big chances’ in that time, the 12th best record in the division for that latter metric.

For comparison, only Daizen Maeda (14) bettered that tally among the Celtic squad in 2025/26, while in O’Riley’s final full season at Parkhead, the left-footer was only just ahead after creating 14 ‘big chances’ himself.

Encouragingly too, this has been no flash in the pan for Breum either, having scored and assisted 15 Eredivisie goals in 2024/25, showcasing enough to suggest he could be a success in Scottish football.

At a time when the recruitment set-up needs altering at Celtic, there may be concern with regard to chasing former targets like Hogh and Breum, although for the latter man, in particular, it’s easy to see why he is still coveting such strong interest.

A creative, exciting young talent, he could well prove to be the club’s biggest star since O’Riley.