Martin O’Neill already has Celtic’s answer to Elijah Just at Parkhead

July is upon us, and Scottish champions Celtic are still waiting to make their first summer signing, already in danger of heading toward a repeat of last year’s chaos.

The Glasgow side left it late to do their business in 2025, ultimately paying the price as Brendan Rodgers’ men crashed out of Champions League qualifying at the hands of Kairat Almaty.

To Martin O’Neill‘s credit, he (twice) picked up the pieces to steer the Hoops to a domestic double, yet the 74-year-old is no miracle man – he needs backing in the transfer market.

Concrete rumours have been thin on the ground thus far, although one name that won’t go away is that of Motherwell’s Elijah Just, the 26-year-old bolstering his reputation even further following his fine World Cup form in recent weeks.

But is he really what Celtic are in need of this summer?

Why Celtic should be wary of pursuing Elijah Just deal

There’s no denying that the Kiwi enjoyed a stellar first season in Scottish football, one of the many breakout stars of last term, alongside the likes of Claudio Braga.

Nominated for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, Just scored and assisted 14 goals in the Premiership across 2025/26, notably scoring against O’Neill’s side at Parkhead earlier this year.

Those feats have almost been overshadowed by his displays for his country of late, the diminutive left-footer scoring three goals even as New Zealand crashed out at the group stage.

He’s a delight to watch at his best, such a graceful, elegant player in that number ten berth, albeit with the problem being that a string of other clubs are likely to be watching him even more closely now too.

Celtic are said to be among those interested, yet Just’s recent form might well have boosted his asking price even further, with there a danger of O’Neill and co getting embroiled in something of a transfer tug of war.

There’s also perhaps the concern regarding quite how openly and brazenly he spoke about his desire to leave Fir Park, suggesting that he hopes his agent is ‘busy’ following this World Cup hot streak.

That isn’t necessarily a great look, and for all Just’s quality, it’s worth a reminder too that this is no young rising star, having turned 26 at the start of May.

It’s also worth noting that the Glasgow side have potentially already signed a similar profile of player in recent times.

O’Neill could unleash Celtic’s answer to Just next season

Signing players from within the Premiership has been a rarity at Paradise in recent memory, with the club so often looking further afield for new additions, rather than raiding the Scottish market.

One of the few occasions that they have poached a player from a top-flight rival came back in the summer of 2024, with a £1m fee dished out for Dundee’s Luke McCowan.

The boyhood Celtic fan was 26 himself at the time of the move, deservingly rewarded for his own fine form in the Premiership at Dens Park.

Indeed, while Just has been earning rave reviews of late, McCowan actually bettered the Kiwi’s tally in his final full season with Dundee, registering 15 goal involvements in 2023/24 in the Premiership.

Another diminutive, left-footed talent who can operate as a number ten or off the right, McCowan created nine ‘big chances’ that season, while also averaging 1.6 key passes per game.

Just, meanwhile, did create 11 ‘big chances’ last time out, albeit while averaging just 1.4 key passes per outing.

There’s evidently a likeness there, with McCowan – like Just at Motherwell – having been a real talismanic figure for his former side, scoring and assisting 47 goals in total across 125 games.

Frustratingly, such a record hasn’t yet been matched at Parkhead, although rarely has the Scot really been given a sustained run of games, having notably started just 12 Premiership games in 2025/26.

That included his bizarre, infamous run at left wing-back under Wilfried Nancy, with the now 28-year-old not having it easy in green and white to date.

That’s not to say he couldn’t have done more to impress when given an opportunity, having registered just 23 goals and assists in 83 total games, yet fresh from signing an extension, now could be the time for him to properly nail down a regular role.

You only have to look to last season to see what he can offer in an advanced midfield role, memorably scoring the only goal away in Stuttgart back in February, amid a sparkling performance for that much-changed side.

Like Just, he’s a creative gem of a player who can unlock a defence with a moment of magic, someone who has already proven himself previously in the Premiership.

Might 2026/27 be where it finally all comes together in a Celtic shirt? Let’s hope so.