Callum McGregor: Celtic's Future Manager in the Making

Callum McGregor has long been the heartbeat of Celtic. Now, one of the club’s most successful managers believes he could be its future brain as well.

Martin O’Neill has tipped the 33-year-old captain to one day take the reins in the dugout, after McGregor moved to end any doubt over his immediate future by telling chief executive Michael Nicholson he is happy to stay with the Scottish champions. The summer had carried a low rumble of uncertainty, with reports of interest from Saudi Arabia refusing to go away. McGregor, it seems, has shut that door.

O’Neill, speaking as the speculation swirled, made it clear he sees more than just a metronomic midfielder. He sees a manager in the making. McGregor has grown into the role of captain, carrying the armband and the expectations of a club that measures itself in titles and European nights. The notion that he could one day step into the technical area at Celtic Park no longer feels fanciful. It feels like a live possibility, banked for the future.

Celtic’s Market Position

Celtic’s present, though, is dominated by the market.

The champions have already shown they are in no mood to be pushed around. An approach from Osasuna for Kieran Tierney has been rejected, with the 29-year-old Scotland left-back still a valuable asset despite the turbulence of recent years. Tierney’s name continues to carry weight, and Celtic are acting like a club that knows it.

On the incoming front, the club’s recruitment drive has hit early resistance. Frosinone have knocked back an opening offer of around £6m for Fares Ghedjemis, the 23-year-old Algeria winger who has also been linked with Rangers. The Italian side want to keep him, but talks are ongoing, and Celtic are not walking away.

The same persistence applies to Mika Baur. One report has Celtic preparing an improved, structured package worth around £5m for the 22-year-old Paderborn midfielder, with the player still pushing for a move to Glasgow. Another insists a £4m bid has already been rejected and that head coach Ralf Kettemann expects Baur to stay put. Somewhere between those positions lies the reality of a drawn-out negotiation. For now, Paderborn hold the cards, but Celtic are clearly serious.

The wider European market has not been kind to some of Celtic’s scouting lines either. Real Oviedo have turned down an offer of approximately £6.2m from Lens for Haissem Hassan, a 24-year-old winger who has been on Celtic’s radar. If the French club cannot get him at that price, the Scottish champions know the level of competition they are dealing with.

Rangers’ Rebuild

Across the city, Rangers’ own rebuild is being shaped by similar forces.

Hull City are set to beat both Rangers and Cardiff City to the signing of Tromso’s 20-year-old midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, with Rangers understood to have withdrawn from the race as Hull emerged as front-runners. It is a small but telling battle in a market where English Championship and ambitious lower-league clubs can often outmuscle Scottish sides on wages and longer-term promises.

Rangers have at least positioned themselves in another chase. Discussions have taken place with Brighton & Hove Albion over Amario Cozier-Duberry. The 21-year-old winger is clearly in demand: Brighton have already rejected a £5m offer from Anderlecht and are in no rush to let him go. For Rangers, it is the sort of deal that could define a window, but only if Brighton’s stance softens.

Other Scottish Clubs

Elsewhere in Scotland, the noise is more muted but no less important for the clubs involved.

St Mirren insist there has been no contact from any side for 24-year-old midfielder Killian Phillips despite speculation over his future. For a club like St Mirren, the timing and value of any sale could shape an entire season, so every rumour matters, even when it leads nowhere.

Notts County, meanwhile, have shown interest in Northampton Town’s Scottish midfielder Dean Campbell, with the 25-year-old drawing attention from several League One clubs. It is the kind of move that rarely makes headlines north of the border but can quietly alter a player’s trajectory and, in time, his value to the national pool.

Brighton & Hove Albion continue to lean into youth. They have agreed a fee to sign 17-year-old Scottish winger Mason Stephens from Manchester City, with the teenager expected to sign a three-year deal. It is another reminder that some of Scotland’s brightest prospects are being hoovered up early by Premier League structures that offer a different pathway and a different kind of pressure.

At St Johnstone, hope of a windfall has been checked by misfortune. Adama Sidibeh, tipped for a £1.5m move amid interest from Championship clubs, has suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Stockport County. For the Perth club, who had been eyeing a significant sell-on fee, the timing could hardly be worse. Injuries do not just derail seasons; they can rewrite balance sheets.

All of this unfolds against a familiar Scottish backdrop: big clubs juggling ambition and restraint, smaller clubs fighting for every clause, every percentage point, every chance to cash in. In the middle of it stands Callum McGregor, still Celtic’s constant, now talked about as a manager-in-waiting.

He has already shaped one era from the centre circle. The real intrigue is whether he will one day shape another from the touchline.