Celtic‘s strong start to the 2026/27 campaign continued on Saturday evening with a thumping 4-0 victory away at Dundee United in the League Cup.
The Hoops have won all three of their competitive matches, scoring ten goals, so far this season under Martin O’Neill, as they look to put last season’s struggles behind them.
There is always room for improvement, though, and there will still be work done between now and the end of the summer transfer window to improve the strength of the squad.
One area of the pitch that could be strengthened again before the deadline is the midfield, with a long-term successor to Callum McGregor a potential option.
Why Celtic need a replacement for Callum McGregor
The Hoops skipper turns 34 at the end of this season and there is only so long that he will be able to be relied upon to start virtually every game in all competitions, after he started again against Dundee United.
McGregor started 36 times in the Scottish Premiership, ten times in the Europa League, four times in the SFA Cup, and four times in the League Cup in the 2025/26 campaign.
He racked up over 5,000 minutes played in all competitions, more than any other player in the squad, and the Hoops need to start thinking about what life will look like after the left-footed star starts to slow down.
|
26/27 Premiership |
Callum McGregor |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
94% |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.5 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
83% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
33% |
McGregor has had a strong start to the current Premiership campaign, completing 94% of his attempted passes, but that is why it is now the perfect time to replace him.
Instead of waiting for the midfielder to regress before signing a long-term successor, Celtic should sign his replacement in the current window and ease the transition over the coming months and seasons.
How Celtic could replace Callum McGregor
Whilst Mika Baur has been brought in from Paderborn to provide an attacking threat from the middle of the park, the club are now looking at a player who could operate in the number six position.
According to the Daily Record, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Hajduk Split defensive midfielder Niko Sigur before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the 22-year-old talent has learned of the club’s interest in him and has made it clear to his team that he is very keen on making the move to Glasgow before the deadline.
It adds that the Croatian outfit are prepared to demand a significant seven-figure sum before they are willing to cash in on the Canada international, and it is now down to the Hoops to make them an attractive offer.
Sigur is a versatile player who is capable of playing at right-back or in defensive midfield, which has helped him to hone his skills both defensively and in possession.
His time as a right-back has cultivated his defensive qualities and his reading of the game out of possession, helping him to improve how he mops up attacks when playing as a number six.
|
25/26 season |
Sigur (HNL) |
McGregor (Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
37 |
|
Assists |
2 |
3 |
|
Tackles per game |
2.4 |
1.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.1 |
0.9 |
|
Clearances per game |
1.4 |
1.3 |
|
Fouls won per game |
1.5 |
0.3 |
|
Duels won per game |
4.9 |
2.8 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
60% |
51% |
His defensive statistics in comparison to McGregor’s at league level in the 2025/26 campaign suggest that he has the potential to offer significantly more to the Celtic team off the ball, which would be particularly useful in European matches against better sides.
As impressive as the Hoops captain is in possession, the former Scotland international lacks the mobility and physicality to be effective in European games, as he lost 52% of his ground duels and 82% of his aerial duels in the Europa League last term.
Sigur played three times for Canada at the World Cup, including in a 6-0 win over Qatar, and won 100% of his aerial battles during his time at the tournament, further illustrating the physicality that he can bring to the team in the middle of the park.
The Canadian star is not just a midfield powerhouse, though, as he also completed 90% of his attempted passes in the HNL last season, including 86% of his passes in the opposition’s half.
In a dominant Celtic team, he could improve that pass percentage further to match McGregor’s 93% from last season, providing a reliable and metronomic presence in front of the back four.
Therefore, Sigur has the potential to arrive as a big upgrade on the captain in the long-term as his successor because he has the technical qualities to dictate domestic games, whilst having the defensive and physical attributes to be significantly more effective in Europe.
