More exciting than Osmand: Celtic in the running to sign "terrific" winger

Celtic are looking to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window in order to bring even more trophies back to Parkhead in the 2025/26 campaign.

The Hoops have already officially confirmed their first signing of the window, with Kieran Tierney due to return to Glasgow after his contract with Arsenal expires at the end of this month.

The Scotland international will join the club on a free transfer to compete for a spot at left-back in Brendan Rodgers’ team next season, whilst Greg Taylor is out of contract this summer and looks to be on his way out of Parkhead.

Tierney will not be the only player to come through the doors before the window slams shut, though, as the Hoops are also reportedly closing in on a new striker.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that Fulham centre-forward Callum Osmand has agreed terms to join the Scottish Premiership champions from the Premier League side, and the English team will be due compensation for the 19-year-old attacker.

What Callum Osmand could bring to Celtic

It was reported earlier this week that the teenage attacker is set to be a part of the first-team set-up because Rodgers rates him and wants to provide the youngster with an opportunity to stake a claim for a spot in the squad next season.

That is despite the fact that Osmand has yet to make a single senior appearance in his career to date. He has not been out on loan and has not been selected in the first-team by Marco Silva in Fulham, as he has had Carlos Vinicius, Rodrigo Muniz, and Raul Jimenez ahead of him, three seasoned Premier League number nines.

Rodgers has clearly seen something in the young striker, as he did when Moussa Dembele arrived from the Cottagers in a similar deal back in 2016, and Osmand’s statistics at youth level may explain what the manager has seen in him.

The Wales youth international scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 22 games for the Premier League side’s academy teams during the 2024/25 campaign, and he has been prolific throughout his youth career.

As you can see in the table above, Osmand has been a reliable goalscorer at youth level for Fulham for several years, and now he is set to have an opportunity to showcase his quality at first-team level in Scotland.

This means that he could bring a goal threat off the bench for Celtic, as a back-up to the likes of Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda, if he can adapt to senior football.

Meanwhile, though, the Hoops are also eyeing up a deal for another player from England who could be an even more exciting addition for Rodgers.

Celtic in the running to sign Championship wing wizard

Pink Un journalist Connor Southwell has revealed that Celtic are one of a number of clubs in the running to land Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan in the summer transfer window.

In the Pink Un’s Q&A, a Norwich City supporter asked reporters if the English attacker was an option for the Canaries this summer, and was met with an unfortunate response.

Southwell answered: “One they like. But so does most of the Championship and the big two in Scotland. I think the level of competition around him has made that a very unlikely prospect, if I’m being honest.”

The journalist stated that Liam Manning’s team are unlikely to sign the 23-year-old winger, whose contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month, due to the level of interest from elsewhere.

Celtic and Rangers, along with a host of other teams in the English Championship, are in the running to land the winger, and their interest looks set to end Norwich’s chances of signing him.

Why Dolan would be more exciting than Osmand

Whilst Osmand looks set to be an exciting addition to the club due to his academy record, the young Fulham striker is very much an unknown quantity due to his lack of senior experience in football.

Dolan, on the other hand, has played 210 matches for Blackburn by the age of 23. This means that he is an incredibly experienced operator, despite his relatively young age, and that Celtic would know what they are getting from him.

The English wing wizard, who was hailed as “terrific” by journalist Elliott Jackson, has been there and done it at a good level in the Championship in England, which is why he would be an even more exciting signing than Osmand.

Dolan’s performances in the second tier for Blackburn were very promising in the 2024/25 campaign, and suggest that he could make a big impact at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops immediately if they were to sign him this summer.

As you can see in the table above, Dolan racked up 14 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined for Rovers this season, and that is despite them not being one of the top teams in the division.

Blackburn only averaged 49.1% per game in the Championship, compared to Celtic’s 75.1% possession per match in the Premiership. This suggests that the winger would have more chances to showcase his quality in the final third due to the share of the ball that the Hoops have week-in-week-out.

Now, imagine what Dolan could do in a dominant and front-footed team after he has already proven that he can deliver goals and assists in a midtable team in the Championship. That is an exciting thought!

That thought is also why the Blackburn star would be an even more exciting signing than Osmand, who is yet to prove himself at senior level, as he could hit the ground running by making an instant impact in the Premiership next season.

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