Celtic must sort scouting and recruitment shambles this summer
Celtic must sort scouting and recruitment shambles this summer Scouting and recruitment should be the top of Celtic’s agenda when it comes to the much needed reshuffle of club affairs this summer… Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay at Tannadice Dundee Utd v Celtic. Sunday 22 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou There are plenty of problems deep rooted in the walls of Celtic Football club, and many of them are in desperate need of being weeded out, most notably the failing hierarchy who are slowly pressing the self destruct button on our club from within.
Once those shysters have been replaced with more competent operators, one of the most important issues to be addressed at the club is our recruitment process, with one area in particular needing tended to asap, and that is the scouting department. I’m not to sure the number of scouts we have in place from youth to senior level, but I know it’s clearly not working, and more importantly as competent and effective as clubs of a similar stature throughout world football. Clubs similar to ours have up to 50 scouts on their payroll and they broaden their horizon throughout the world, thus bringing in talented players on a regular basis, whether that’s through the youth system, or basic recruitment at senior level.
Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge celebrates scoring his team’s sixth goal during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round Second Leg match between Club Brugge and theRangers at Jan Breydelstadion on August 27, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images) Sides like Club Brugge, Ajax, are perfect benchmarks, as are a host of Scandinavian clubs, ones that continue to produce the goods thought their successful scouting and recruitment front. Not only to their benefit in domestic football, but on the European scene also.
Clubs such as this should be our inspiration moving forward. Our numbers in this department are shockingly low, as is shown in our recent record at producing home grown players, and our more highlighted record at senior level. A big part of the reason for the latter is the incompetent leadership in the club’s hierarchy, but a lack of proper scouting is also to blame.
For me scouting is an area we need to badly address, and seriously invest in a higher number of staff, professionals who are competent in their job and will improve our fortunes on that front and save the club a fortune that is currently being wasted on the terrible buys we have seen over the last few years. Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025.