MICHAEL NICHOLSON HAS THE FINAL SAY ON TRANSFERS. WHY ARE DEALS STILL NOT GETTING DONE?

Celtic supporters are running out of patience.

Every transfer window seems to follow the same frustrating script. Rumours gather pace. Talks are reported. Negotiations drag on. Then, before supporters know it, pre-season has begun and the squad is still incomplete.

For a club with Celtic’s financial power, that simply isn’t good enough.

The uncomfortable truth is that responsibility has to lie somewhere. And according to Celtic’s own structure, that responsibility ultimately rests with CEO Michael Nicholson.

Nicholson isn’t merely an administrator sitting in an office. His role is central to the transfer process. After progressing from Head of Legal to Director of Legal and Football Affairs before becoming CEO, he is responsible for structuring contracts, negotiating financial terms with agents and giving the executive sign-off that allows transfers to be completed.

In short, he is the man responsible for getting deals over the line.

That means accountability cannot continually be passed elsewhere.

If the recruitment team identifies targets…

If the scouting department does its job…

If football operations recommend the player…

Then it falls to Michael Nicholson to complete the deal.

So why does it keep taking so long?

Supporters have watched another transfer window drift by without a single new first-team signing arriving early enough to properly integrate before crucial Champions League qualifiers loom on the horizon.

Every day lost is another day a new player isn’t learning the system, building relationships with teammates or adapting to the demands of playing for Celtic.

Europe doesn’t wait.

Preparation matters.

Successful clubs complete their key business early. They don’t spend July scrambling to finish work that should have been done in June.

Communication is another area where supporters are entitled to expect more.

When transfers stall, silence fills the vacuum. Fans are left to rely on journalists, rumours and social media speculation because the club rarely explains its strategy or reassures its supporters.

Instead, many feel the only regular communication arrives when merchandise is being launched or tickets are on sale.

That simply isn’t leadership.

Supporters also want to see ambition.

Not endless negotiations.

Not cautious delays.

Not another window where every deal becomes a marathon.

Celtic are one of Britain’s wealthiest football clubs. They should be setting the pace in Scotland, not constantly reacting to it.

The perception among many supporters is that the club operates without urgency. Even reports of senior executives taking holidays during one of the most critical periods of the football calendar reinforce that feeling. Whether work continues remotely or not, the message it sends is the wrong one.

The transfer window is the CEO’s busiest time of the year.

It demands complete focus.

Twenty-four hours a day if necessary.

Supporters invest thousands of pounds every season following Celtic. They deserve a football operation that matches that commitment with speed, ambition and decisive leadership.

Michael Nicholson has held the top job since 2021.

The structure is in place.

The finances are there.

The recruitment department has expanded.

So the excuses are becoming harder to find.

If Michael Nicholson has the final say on transfers, then he must also accept responsibility when those transfers aren’t completed quickly enough.

For too long, Celtic supporters have heard about the process.

Now they simply want to see results.