​On 23 May 2026 at Hampden Park, in the Scottish Cup Final, Celtic faced Dunfermline. Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic celebrated a goal after he rounded Aston Oxborough of Dunfermline Athletic and netted to make it 3-0 in the 73rd minute. The moment captured highlighted how influential both players had been in steering the Bhoys back from the brink to lift silverware the previous season. Manager Martin O’Neill has since made no secret of his desire to bring them back to Paradise again. After a 1-1 pre-season friendly with Dublin side Shelbourne, the Irishman revealed his eagerness for Iheanacho, the Nigerian striker, and Marcelo Saracchi, the Uruguayan defender, to rejoin for the challenges ahead next term. The Hoops will again contend with a resurgent Hearts and Rangers, and former captain Scott Brown has already indicated that a three-way title race is likely, a prospect that will please SPFL chiefs and broadcaster Sky Sports.
Celtic’s season throne nearly toppled on the final day when Hearts closed in on the league title, but a Martin O’Neill masterclass—outsmarting the new Ibrox incumbent Derek McInnes—secured a dramatic 3-1 victory and the championship, leaving Scottish football and the mainstream media with egg on their faces. Now, with the dust settled and celebrations finished, the focus returns to business this summer. The club must equip the manager with serious quality and substantial backing to sustain domestic dominance while pushing in Europe as well.
Following the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on an extended one-year deal, O’Neill has added lethal Colombian forward Camilo Durán to the ranks in a major coup. Yet the manager remains keen to bring back Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi, who played pivotal roles in Celtic’s late-season winning run, to Celtic Park. Speaking about both players, O’Neill told the Glasgow Times: “Michael Nicholson has been in contact with Iheanacho’s agent, and I believe the situation with Saracchi is similar. Both would like to return given the circumstances, and it’s up to us to explore possible deals. I would like to bring them back, but there’s still a bit of work to be done.”
Here you have two players eager to return to Celtic, a manager who wants them, one free agent and the other perhaps surplus to their club’s requirements, yet securing these deals remains challenging. Could the hurdle be at Celtic? Paul Gillespie asks readers to have their say and join the Celtic conversation in the comments below.
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