It is fair to say that Celtic have not had the best of luck in the recruitment department in recent seasons, as too many signings have failed to deliver at Parkhead.
Of the 17 players signed in the 2025/26 campaign, on loan and permanently, only Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren can be considered regular starters this season, whilst Callum Osmand is getting there.
The Hoops signed ten players in the 2024/25 season and Jota and Auston Trusty might be considered the only regular starters, when fit and available, from that set of signings.
Too many of the club’s signings have not hit the mark during their time with the Scottish Premiership giants, such as DR Congo international Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
How Balikwisha’s Celtic career has unfolded
In the summer of 2025, Brendan Rodgers swooped to sign the attacking midfielder from Royal Antwerp for a fee in the region of £5m to bolster his options in the wide areas.
He featured in the first seven matches of the Scottish Premiership season, starting two matches, but failed to score any goals and only provided one assist.
Balikwisha provided an assist in the 3-2 win over Motherwell in October, which was one of only two goal contributions he racked up in 14 appearances for Celtic in all competitions last season.
After playing 29 minutes off the bench in Martin O’Neill‘s first game against Falkirk, the 25-year-old attacker was consigned to the bench and then the stands by the Northern Irishman, either side of Wilfried Nancy’s reign.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Balikwisha |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
7 |
|
Starts |
2 |
|
Unused substitute |
5 |
|
Failed to make the squad |
23 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
1 |
The £5m-rated forward became a complete outcast under O’Neill, failing to make the squad, despite being fit, for the last 23 games of the league season.
His failure to break back into the side last term resulted in Celtic sending him out on loan to Gent with an option to make the deal permanent next summer, and he has scored one goal in nine games for the Belgian side so far.
Celtic star looks like the new Balikwisha
Unfortunately, one of the club’s signings in the recent summer transfer window is now starting to look like the next version of Balikwisha at Parkhead.
Haissem Hassan was an exciting signing when he joined from Real Oviedo for £6m in the summer, as he had just come off the back of assisting a goal against Argentina at the World Cup for Egypt.
Back in September, O’Neill raved about the winger’s “great” performances and his “delightful” play against St Mirren, a game in which he completed three dribbles and created one ‘big chance’.
Fast-forward to last weekend, though, and the Egyptian attacker was completely left out of the matchday squad against Kilmarnock, despite being fit and available for selection.
Luke McCowan, James Forrest, Callum Osmand, and Sebastian Tounekti were all preferred ahead of him on the bench, as O’Neill cited competition for places as the reason behind his decision.
That is the same reason that was given for Balikwisha’s long-term exclusion from matchday squads in the Premiership under the Northern Irishman last season.
|
Haissem Hassan (26/27) |
Premiership |
Europa League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
10 |
4 |
|
xG |
0.92 |
0.12 |
|
Big chances |
1 |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
1 |
|
Possession lost per game |
13.0x |
6.8x |
There is no doubting that the winger can offer creativity from a wide position, as he has created seven ‘big chances’ in all competitions, but he has looked too one-dimensional at times.
The fact that he has only generated one ‘big chance’ for himself and failed to score any goals in ten matches in the Premiership for a side as dominant as Celtic speaks to his lack of natural instincts as a goalscorer.
His only goal contribution in ten matches in the league so far was his assist for Mika Baur in the 1-0 win away at St. Johnstone back in September, as he has gone six Premiership games without a goal or an assist since then.
Hassan’s lack of goal threat at the top end of the pitch may be why O’Neill opted to leave him out of the squad entirely for the game against Kilmarnock, as the £6m-rated winger has failed to score in 16 games in all competitions this term.
Like Balikwisha, the former Real Oviedo man has offered the occasional assist and a complete lack of goals before being taken out of the matchday squad.
Whilst it is not a given that Hassan remains in the stands, it is a concerning development and suggests that he may be on his way to becoming the next version of the DR Congo international, unless he can win O’Neill over and turn his career at Parkhead around.
