Celtic chose Jordan Lotomba after turning down chance to sign Bayern Munich defender Sacha Boey

Celtic completed the signing of Swiss international Jordan Lotomba on a deal running until the end of the season as Martin O’Neill moved quickly to strengthen his options at right-back.

The move came with Alistair Johnston facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the Canadian defender expected to miss up to eight weeks because of injury.

However, an interesting detail has now emerged regarding Celtic’s search for defensive cover. Reports claim the Scottish champions were offered the opportunity to bring Bayern Munich right-back Sacha Boey to Glasgow on loan, but ultimately decided against the move.

Bayern were reportedly willing to negotiate over a temporary transfer for Boey and were prepared to absorb a significant financial loss to make the deal happen. Despite that, Celtic chose to pursue Lotomba, who arrived from Feyenoord on a season-long agreement.

Lotomba, 27, officially became a Celtic player on September 2, effectively the club’s final day of business because of UEFA squad-registration deadlines. Scottish clubs were able to complete their domestic transfer activity until the following day.

Boey is not an unfamiliar name to Celtic. The former France youth international had previously attracted the club’s attention in 2021 while playing for Rennes. He eventually opted to leave France for Galatasaray instead.

According to reports from Celts Are Here, Celtic did hold discussions with Boey’s representatives and made clear the level of his wages they were prepared to cover. Bayern were apparently willing to take a financial hit of around £2.7 million to facilitate the move, but Celtic eventually decided to take a different route.

The decision is likely to surprise some Celtic supporters, particularly given Boey’s pedigree. Bayern spent around €30 million to sign the full-back in 2024, although his time in Germany has been disrupted by a lack of consistent first-team football.

That lack of opportunities eventually saw Boey return to Galatasaray on loan during the second half of last season, giving him a chance to rediscover regular playing time.

Celtic instead placed their faith in Lotomba, and the Swiss defender will now be tasked with providing cover on the right while Johnston recovers.

The fact that Celtic preferred Lotomba to a player of Boey’s profile will raise expectations surrounding the new arrival. O’Neill will be hoping the decision proves justified and that Lotomba can quickly establish himself as a quality addition to the Celtic squad.