Celtic will be concerned by reports of interest in one of their key midfielders ahead of next season. The Bhoys are expected to be bold in the summer window, with Martin O'Neill having demanded significant recruitment this summer.
O'Neill wants a squad that will be ready to start the season firing on all cylinders, while also being of a good enough standard to qualify and compete in the Champions League. That could be a task, especially with some key exits on the cards this summer, with Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate in line for potential departures.
Fresh exit concern
With the three aforementioned players likely to leave, Celtic will be reluctant to lose any other starters. The Hoops don't want to find themselves replacing much more of their starting XI, but interest in some of their other stars is likely.
One player who is attracting interest from a familiar face is Callum McGregor, who is said to be of interest to Brendan Rodgers in Saudi Arabia. Mcgregor was linked with a move to Al-Qadsiah shortly after Rodgers was appointed, but a move did not pan out, thankfully for the Hoops, who went on to win a league and cup double.
But a few months later and Rodgers is still said to hold interest, according to Al-Riyadiyah, who say the Saudi club want an experienced foreign defensive midfielder.
McGregor certainly fits the bill at 33 years of age, and it's likely he would be available on a reasonable fee and wage, at least by Saudi terms, albeit they will have to pay above market.
Working with Rodgers could appeal to McGregor
McGregor has praised Rodgers plenty in the past, with the pair sharing a solid relationship. In January of 2025, the experienced Celtic midfielder said: “He has helped me think about football in a different way. You start to understand the game, how it’s pieced together and how it should look with the ball, without the ball. When you see football like that it becomes so simple and you think: How did I not know this before? [Europe] is something we spoke about. It’s nice when you get nights like Wednesday [beating Young Boys]where you kind of cross a little finish line and reach an objective.
“He has more experience, he knows his way around the building. So you probably get a bit more relaxed version of him this time around, but he’s still so demanding on the players. One thing he does is simplify the game.
“He makes it really, really simple for players. Everyone’s in the right position and then it frees players up to make good decisions and bring their own personality to the game. When he came back I was excited for the young lads because I was one of them first time he was here and he opened my eyes.”
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