Celtic would reportedly block exits in January should Martin O'Neill walk away from the club before then. The Bhoys remain in an uncertain situation, with O'Neill reportedly considering his future due to a run of three straight defeats.
The Hoops won't sack O'Neill, vowing to stay loyal to the veteran boss due to what he has given the club over the years, and as recently as last season when he rescued a poor Bhoys side to win a league and cup double.
But O'Neill has said he may walk away if he feels he can no longer fix the issues that have caused his side to lose three straight games. The 74-year-old remains in place, though, which suggests he will stay put for now, given we are well over a week into the international break.
Even if O'Neill does stay, there is a possibility that O'Neill leaves before the end of the season, and according to Football Insider, if the veteran boss leaves before January, Celtic will effectively put an exit freeze in place for January due to their thin squad.
Pete O'Rourke said: "I don't think, if anything were to happen with Martin O’Neill, if he decided to walk away, that it would lead to an exodus of players. Some Celtic fans are unhappy and feel that the squad is still quite thin. They need to add to it, so I don't think they could afford to let players leave as well.
"The club are trying to rally around O'Neill and everyone else as they try to get their season back on track once this international break is over."
Celtic certainly cannot afford to lose multiple players in the January transfer window whatever happens. The Bhoys are lacking depth in a number of positions, especially in the midfield and at left-back, and there are no positions where they can spare players. The only position you could perhaps make a case for is the striker spot, with Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Shim Mheuka and Callum Osmand options, although with Osman having been out for weeks, it shows how easy it is to be down an option.
In football, these situations usually come down to who comes in next rather than who goes out the door. An O'Neill departure would disappoint some, but getting those players on board will come down to getting the right manager in. Failure to do so is what could lead to an exodus.
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