Balikwisha sums up Celtic’s transfer nightmare as recruitment cracks fully exposed

Celtic’s struggles in the transfer market have reached a point where they can no longer be brushed aside, and Michel-Ange Balikwisha has become the clearest symbol of a problem that has been building for far too long. With just two weeks left in the January window, it is astonishing – yet somehow predictable – that the club are still scrambling to find a striker, despite knowing this situation was coming months in advance.

Balikwisha’s recent social media activity spoke volumes. His cryptic message – “2025 opened my eyes. 2026 I’m coming back.” – didn’t name names, but the target was obvious. Removing every reference to Celtic from his profiles only reinforced the sense of frustration. For a player who has spent much of his time on the fringes, it was a public expression of discontent that hinted at deeper issues behind the scenes.

Against Auchinleck Talbot, a part-time Junior side whose squad balances football with day jobs, Balikwisha was finally handed an opportunity. This was his chance to show hunger, intent, and the kind of quality that might justify the £5 million Celtic paid for him. Instead, it was another forgettable display. Over 66 minutes, he drifted through the game, offering little in terms of urgency or threat. There was no sign of a player desperate to prove a point, no spark that suggested untapped potential waiting to be unlocked.

That lack of impact is what alarms supporters most. This is not about one bad afternoon or a player struggling to find form. Balikwisha’s performance felt like a continuation of everything that has gone wrong since his arrival. And in truth, the focus shouldn’t rest solely on him. He is merely the most visible example of a recruitment strategy that appears increasingly flawed.

Celtic tracked Balikwisha for close to two years before finally committing to a deal that crept towards the £5 million mark. In that time, multiple managers have assessed him and reached the same conclusion: he does not fit what Celtic need. That alone raises serious questions about the scouting process. How does a player monitored for so long arrive so ill-suited to the system he was supposedly recruited for?

It becomes even more concerning when you consider that Balikwisha was once viewed as a potential replacement for Daizen Maeda, should the Japanese winger’s move to Wolfsburg go through. Martin O’Neill has since stated that Balikwisha is “definitely not a wide player,” leaving fans wondering what exactly Celtic’s recruitment team saw during those two years of analysis. The disconnect between scouting reports and on-pitch reality is glaring.

But Balikwisha is not an isolated case. He joins a growing list of players – including Shin Yamada, Hayato Inamura, and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – who arrived with promise but failed to make any meaningful impact. The deeper issue is not why these individual signings have struggled, but why Celtic continue to repeat the same mistakes without learning from them.

The warning signs were there long before this window opened. Celtic knew last season that a rebuild was looming. Kyogo was sold in January and, incredibly, not replaced. In most clubs, such a decision would have prompted serious internal review. Instead, Celtic pressed on, hoping existing resources would somehow be enough.

After a chaotic summer, chief executive Michael Nicholson promised lessons would be learned. Paul Tisdale eventually paid the price, but the patterns remain unchanged. There is still hesitation, still an overreliance on last-minute deals, and still a belief that solutions will magically appear as the deadline approaches. It is a dangerous way to operate, especially for a club with Celtic’s ambitions.

Outcasts Yamada and Inamura(Image: SNS Group)

The reality is stark. Celtic have known for months that they needed at least two strikers, a winger, and a centre-back. Ideally, a new goalscorer should have been in place by the turn of the year, settled and ready for key fixtures. Instead, as January edges towards its conclusion, none of those gaps have been filled.

Time is slipping away, and Celtic now look like a club searching in panic mode, hoping something – anything – materialises before the window shuts on February 2. This is happening despite the fact that the club reportedly has around £77 million sitting in the bank. The resources are there; the urgency and clarity are not.

Supporters are not demanding extravagance or unrealistic signings. Their expectations are reasonable. The squad is stretched, fatigue is evident, and quality is lacking in crucial areas. These are problems that have been obvious for months, not sudden revelations.

The timing could hardly be worse. Celtic face a daunting trip to Tynecastle for a title-defining clash against Hearts, who sit six points clear at the top and are playing with confidence and belief. Before that, there is a challenging Europa League fixture away to Bologna. Any signing completed around now will have minimal time to train, let alone integrate into the team.

It all feels uncomfortably familiar. Fans remember the ill-fated Champions League gamble against Kairat Almaty, a decision that ended in humiliation despite massive financial backing. That episode should have been a turning point. Instead, the same patterns are emerging again.

Balikwisha may feel that 2025 opened his eyes, but the greater concern is that Celtic still appear to be sleepwalking into 2026. Recruitment mistakes, indecision, and poor planning are no longer isolated incidents; they are systemic issues.

Unless there is a dramatic change in approach over the final days of the window, this season risks spiralling into a nightmare. Celtic have the means to fix these problems, but time is running out. The cracks are no longer subtle – they are wide open, and ignoring them any longer could have serious consequences.