Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has openly confirmed he was on a scouting mission at Fir Park this weekend, intensifying speculation that the Scottish champions are preparing a move for Motherwell's in-form forward Tawanda Maswanhise.
O'Neill's Fir Park Scouting Trip
The Celtic boss attended Motherwell's Scottish Cup tie against Ross County on Saturday, where Maswanhise scored the only goal of the game. The 23-year-old Zimbabwe international has now netted three times in three matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, taking his season tally to an impressive 15 goals.
O'Neill did not shy away from discussing his presence at the match. 'That was a football mission,' he stated. 'That was a part of my job to watch. I went there after training with (Mark) Fotheringham.' When pressed on whether players in the Scottish Premiership could meet Celtic's standards, O'Neill replied pointedly: 'There are players here capable of playing at a higher level.'
Celtic's Urgent Need for Reinforcements
With the club having secured only the loan signing of Julian Araujo from Bournemouth this month, O'Neill's patience appears to be wearing thin. He reiterated a clear expectation for new arrivals before next Sunday's crucial Premiership encounter with Hearts at Tynecastle.
'We are very hopeful we will get someone in before then,' O'Neill said, acknowledging a need for both a creative spark and a traditional number nine. 'Brilliant. Absolutely. We are very hopeful we will get someone in,' he added when questioned about the specific requirements.
A Laboured Cup Win Amidst Transfer Talk
The transfer speculation unfolded against the backdrop of a less-than-convincing 2-0 victory for Celtic over West of Scotland Premier League side Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup fourth round. Johnny Kenny opened the scoring after 33 minutes, but a nervous Celtic had to wait until Seb Tounekti's superb 85th-minute strike to secure their passage to a fifth-round home tie against Dundee.
O'Neill admitted his team's performance was below par, attributing part of the struggle to making ten changes from the side that beat Falkirk. 'We weren't fantastic,' he conceded. 'We had a lot of possession but we weren't able to break the team down and when we did create chances we missed them. I was delighted with the win. It's the start of a big week for us.'
Talbot winger Kyle McAvoy suggested the tie might have been different had it been played at their intimate Beechwood Park ground, citing the modest facilities as a potential leveller. Manager Tommy Sloan expressed immense pride in his team's disciplined defensive effort against the Scottish giants.
As the January window enters its final week, all eyes are now on Celtic's board to deliver the signings their manager is publicly demanding, with Tawanda Maswanhise emerging as a prime target following O'Neill's very public reconnaissance.
