Julian Araujo is currently the only player who has been officially signed by Celtic in the January transfer window, having arrived under Wilfried Nancy at the start of the month.
Martin O’Neill is yet to make his first signing since taking the job until the end of the season, and he has all but ruled out a move for Birmingham striker Kyogo Furuhashi.
It had been reported that the Hoops were in talks with the English side over a deal to bring the Japan international back for a second spell at Parkhead.
However, these latest comments from the Celtic boss suggest that the experienced marksman will not be leaving St. Andrew’s in the current transfer window.
Celtic in talks to sign Premiership star
Whilst Kyogo may not be returning to Parkhead, the Scottish Premiership giants are active in the market and looking to bolster their squad in other areas of the pitch.
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According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Celtic are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Hibernian central midfielder Miguel Chaiwa in the January transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Hoops and Italian side Fiorentina are both eyeing up the Zambia international as a potential signing to bolster their respective midfields.
Galetti adds that both teams have opened talks with the Scottish Premiership side to enquire about his situation and to ask to be kept informed on his status.
However, there is no mention of how much it would cost to convince Hibernian to part ways with the 21-year-old central midfielder, who could be Scott Brown 2.0.
Why Miguel Chaiwa could be the next Scott Brown for Celtic
Back in 2007, Celtic broke the record for a transfer between two Premiership sides with a £4.4m deal to sign central midfielder Scott Brown, who was 21 at the time, from Hibernian.
The Scotland international, of course, went on to captain the Hoops and won ten Premiership titles across 618 appearances for the club by the end of his time at Parkhead, per Transfermarkt.
Chaiwa may not go on to enjoy as much success as that, as it is a ridiculous standard to hold anyone to, but his performances for Hibernian in the middle of the park this season show real signs of promise.
The 21-year-old talent, dubbed “impressive” by editor Patrick McPartlin, has only started six of his 12 appearances in the Premiership, as he adjusts to life in Scotland as a young player, but he has clearly shown enough quality to convince Celtic and Fiorentina to consider moves to sign him.
25/26 Premiership
Chaiwa per 90
Rank vs CMs
Duels won
7.00
Top 20%
Duel success rate
53.8%
Top 14%
Aerial duels won
1.54
Top 22%
Aerial duel success rate
50%
Top 24%
Interceptions
1.40
Top 6%
Fouls won
3.36
Top 8%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Chaiwa’s defensive statistics per 90 suggest that he has real potential as a midfield enforcer, winning duels on the deck and in the air at an impressive rate.
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Like Brown, the Zambian star could be a powerhouse in the middle of the park for Celtic, putting in strong tackles and winning the midfield battle week-in-week-out, if he can add consistency to his game.
O’Neill, who managed the likes of Stiliyan Petrov and Neil Lennon in his first spell at Celtic, could be the perfect manager to help Chaiwa in his transition to playing regular games in the Premiership.
At the moment, the Hibernian star is a talented young player who has shown potential, but he has yet to prove himself as a regular starter in Scotland, which is why this move would be a bit of a gamble by the Hoops if they decide to bring him in this month.
O'Neill ready to make a better signing than Kyogo with £6.5m Celtic deal
Celtic are reportedly interested in signing a centre-forward who would be an even better addition than Kyogo Furuhashi.
1 ByDan Emery
However, with guidance from an incredibly experienced Celtic manager like O’Neill, Chaiwa could use the rest of this season to put himself into a position where he can hit the ground running under the next boss in the 2026/27 campaign.