Celtic knocked Hearts to their knees on the final day, watched the referees count to three and escaped with the Scottish Premiership title in a way that only Eddie Guerrero would be proud of.
Now that they have retained their title in the most impressive fashion, however, it is about holding it again.
Celtic’s reign, as far as Martin O’Neill is concerned, is far from over and the first order of business for the Boys is to welcome the clinical goalscorer this summer.
Celtic were expected to bid for the 22-goal scorer
Despite their happy performance in management, Celtic’s biggest problem last season was up front. The departure of Kyogo Furuhashi six months ago forced the Bhoys to replace Daizen Maeda at the start of the campaign and in one move, they turned the 33-goal man into a struggling star.
It took the Japan international until the end of the season to find his best form at the right time, denying Hearts the chance to end their title wait.
Even that time should not be enough to clear the entire season. Celtic can’t rely on Maeda as the go-to scorer. Either he needs a partner or a chance to find his feet again.
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The attacking signing looks very important in Glasgow, too. The Hoops are already targeting Tairyk Arconte, who scored 14 goals for France last season, and are in the race to sign another top striker.
According to TEAMtalk, Celtic will launch an official bid to sign Elias Filet from FC Aarau this summer. They have already held a video call this week with the player’s representatives to discuss the deal.
The Scottish giants are favorites to land his signature and O’Neill is determined to complete the deal, with personal terms also expected to be discussed.
Swiss second-division club Aarau are reportedly set to receive offers worth up to €600,000 (£520k), possibly from within Celtic.
Elias Filet may be Celtic’s best striker since Kyogo
The big question about Filet will be how he is ready to adapt to life in the Scottish Premiership. Moving from the second division in Switzerland to a side that competes in every category is a big step for anyone. And after a tough season in recruiting, the Bhoys can’t afford to mess things up.
Well, it wouldn’t be the first time Celtic bought in an unknown market. It is worth noting that they once welcomed Kyogo from Japan’s Vissel Kobe and although Andres Iniesta ensured that the club was more popular than the Swiss, the striker was yet to leapfrog the level and style that awaited him.
In the end, it was a gamble worth taking. Kyogo scored 85 goals in 165 games for Celtic, before moving to Stade Rennais in 2025.
|
Statistical comparison |
Kyogo 20/21 |
File 25/26 |
|---|---|---|
|
Games |
22 |
40 |
|
Goals |
16 |
22 |
|
It helps |
2 |
6 |
It’s easy to see why Celtic are willing to bet on the unknown again to improve their forwards. In Kyogo’s last season at Vissel Kobe, he scored 16 goals in 22 games. Filet’s numbers almost matched that record, with 22 goals and six assists in 40 games for Aarau last campaign.
He has reached the level the Bhoys last saw from their former Japanese striker and the level they have been searching for since his departure. At a low price, Filet is worth pursuing.
In an ideal world, his arrival would spark O’Neill’s front line to life, curb Maeda’s best form and end any hope of Hearts or Rangers in the race for the Scottish throne.
It was a tumultuous campaign for Celtic last season, but they are on course to weather the storm as champions this summer.
Celtic are interested in signing ahead of FC Lorient and Genk after a video call
The Boys are in good shape.
