'Relatively close': Celtic issue transfer update as reasons for current pace explained

The Premiership champions have prioritised a striker during the winter transfer window and are also looking for a central defender and a right winger.

So far, only Bournemouth right-back Julian Araujo has arrived this month after a loan deal was brokered with Bournemouth. The Mexican was brought in by previous manager Wilfried Nancy, although the 24-year-old started for O’Neill in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Dundee United.

Celtic are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Falkirk and O’Neill was asked for an update on potential incomings in his pre-match press conference.

"I'd love to blame other people but it's down to me,” the 73-year-old said on the current pace of transfer dealings. “Nothing has changed really, even when I've been out of the game, the January transfer window has always been difficult. Unless you've identified a player that you absolutely know is going to improve your team and you're prepared to spend money on him, I think it becomes more difficult.

"The new manager would've wanted to have had the January window so he could identify players for his particular system. Now, we are genuinely working really hard on the background. There's no impediment in that sense. It's just trying to get some people in just now that we think can at least help us until the end of the season."

O’Neill revealed that he has passed on some of the options presented to him by the Celtic recruitment team. The only fresh face he will currently be able to call upon at the Falkirk Stadium is centre-half Stephen Welsh after he was recalled from his loan spell with Motherwell.

"Essentially, that is true,” added O’Neill. “I have discarded some. Famous last words, but we are making progress - or we think we are. You are talking about agreements with clubs and then secondly with players themselves. And then the player finding out that there's interest elsewhere.

"So you're competing, all these particular things come into consideration which is no surprise to me in that sense. I know you're thinking we're halfway through January now, but I think that we're relatively close."