Celtic, the Scottish champions, are struggling to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season. According to former Celtic manager Paul Lambert, the team is ‘nowhere near good enough’ without further recruitment.

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Lambert’s comments come as the club prepares to open their competitive season at home to Dundee on August 3rd and enter the Champions League at the play-off stage later in the month.

The only summer arrival so far has been striker Camilo Duran, while midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has signed a new contract after a short-term deal last term. However, forward Kelechi Iheanacho and former left-back loanee Marcelo Saracchi will not be returning to the club this season.

Iheanacho has joined Bursaspor as a free agent, while Saracchi has bid farewell to Celtic fans on social media, stating that he and his agent ‘did absolutely everything within our power to make a return to Glasgow happen’. Furthermore, German centre-half Maik Nawrocki has been sold by Celtic to Lens.

‘The squad’s not strong enough,’ Lambert told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound. ‘I’ve seen Celtic, they’re nowhere near good enough at this moment in time, nowhere near it. Everybody recognises it.’

Lambert emphasized that the problems were not new and that the squad was ‘very, very limited’ last season. He believes that Celtic need to spend around £8-10m on recruitment infrastructure alone to improve their chances of winning the league.

‘I don’t think it’s time for panic stations,’ Lambert said. ‘What I do know from being in the Championship and being in the Premier League, the Championship now is a league where the Premier League was about 10, 15 years ago. You’re talking off the scale in some of the clubs in the Championship.’

Celtic’s chief executive, Michael Nicholson, has also acknowledged the difficulties the club is facing in the transfer market. He stated that Celtic are competing with English Premier League and Championship clubs for players and dealing with agents, making it a challenging process.

In light of these challenges, Lambert’s comments serve as a stark reminder of the need for Celtic to invest in their squad if they are to remain competitive in the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.

Paul Lambert’s Critique of Celtic’s Squad

Lambert’s assessment of Celtic’s squad is blunt and unflinching. He believes that the team is ‘nowhere near good enough’ without further recruitment, and that the problems were not new and that the squad was ‘very, very limited’ last season.

‘You can’t buy young kids to come in there and grasp that club because it’s too big and it’s too demanding,’ Lambert said. ‘You need ready-made players to come into the club, especially if they’re going to compete in the Champions League.’

In conclusion, Lambert’s comments highlight the challenges that Celtic face in the transfer market and the need for the club to invest in their squad if they are to remain competitive in the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.