Celtic cannot afford to wait until January to solve their Gineitis problem

“We’ll go back for him in January.”

If the latest reports prove accurate, that could be Celtic’s approach to their pursuit of Gvidas Gineitis after failing to complete a deal for the Torino midfielder this summer.

Celtic have been linked with the Lithuania international for much of the transfer window, with interest developing into reported offers and negotiations. Yet with the move seemingly failing to materialise, the possibility of returning for Gineitis during the winter window has now emerged.

That raises a much bigger concern about Celtic’s recruitment strategy.

Why wait until January to address weaknesses that were already obvious in August?

Gineitis appears to fit the profile of midfielder Celtic have been crying out for. He brings physical strength, aggression and technical ability, while his age means there remains plenty of room for further development.

For Martin O’Neill, adding that type of player could have provided his midfield with greater balance and resilience.

So if Celtic genuinely viewed Gineitis as the solution, the obvious question is why they did not do everything possible to bring him in before the season’s biggest games?

The collapse against LASK exposed several weaknesses that were already present in the squad.

Celtic struggled to control the match when momentum shifted. They lacked physical presence in midfield and appeared short of leaders when the pressure intensified. Their ability to manage the game also disappeared when things began going against them.

None of those shortcomings suddenly appeared in Austria.

They were issues Celtic had the entire summer to address.

Instead, there is now a danger that the club could spend the first half of the campaign knowing exactly where the squad remains vulnerable while waiting for January to provide an answer.

That is not proactive recruitment. It is recruitment by reaction.

And Celtic need to move away from that approach.

January is not a guaranteed solution

The January window is an unpredictable market.

Clubs are generally far less willing to lose important players midway through a season, while transfer fees can rise considerably when a selling club knows it does not need to do business.

Gineitis’ situation could also look completely different by then.

Torino may decide they want to keep him. His performances could increase his value. Other clubs could enter the race. Celtic could even find themselves competing against teams with greater financial resources.

There is therefore no guarantee that simply returning in January will result in a successful deal.

What happens if Gineitis enjoys an outstanding first half of the season and attracts interest from elsewhere?

Celtic could find themselves having to pay substantially more — or watching another club sign the player they wanted.

That is why January should not be viewed as a rescue window.

Celtic should use January to add quality, not repair mistakes

The winter market should ideally be about strengthening an already competitive squad.

It should not be about desperately trying to correct problems that were identifiable months earlier.

That makes the Gineitis situation about far more than one potential signing. It raises questions about how Celtic identify priorities and when they choose to act on them.

If O’Neill believes his team requires a physically imposing midfielder who can protect the defence, move the ball effectively and cope with the demands of European football, then that player should have been brought in before the Champions League qualifiers.

And if Gineitis was genuinely the preferred candidate, Celtic needed to show greater urgency in trying to complete the transfer.

There is another factor that cannot be ignored.

Opportunities to compete at the highest level do not come around automatically.

Champions League football can transform a club’s finances, while European competition also brings prestige and valuable experience. Celtic cannot continually treat qualification as something they can prepare for later.

Supporters have heard variations of the same message too often: wait for the next window, wait for the right opportunity or wait until January.

At some point, the waiting has to stop.

Celtic already knew where the squad needed strengthening.

They did not need another transfer window to identify those weaknesses. They needed to act on them before those deficiencies were exposed in the biggest matches.

If Gineitis really was the midfielder Celtic wanted, it would have been far preferable to see him arrive before the Champions League campaign reached its decisive stage rather than spend months hoping a January deal can be resurrected.

By the time the winter window opens, Celtic’s European ambitions may already have taken a very different direction.

Key takeaways

• Celtic had the summer to address their midfield weaknesses rather than relying on January.
• Gineitis appears to match the physical and technical profile Celtic need.
• A January move is far from guaranteed, with Torino potentially reluctant to sell and other clubs capable of entering the race.
• Celtic’s winter recruitment should focus on strengthening the squad rather than repairing obvious deficiencies.
• The club needs to become more proactive in identifying and solving weaknesses before they damage the season.