Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has quickly had his eyes opened to just how difficult the job can be after losing his first two matches in charge of the club.
The French tactician lost 2-1 to Hearts on Sunday and 3-0 to Roma on Thursday, both at Parkhead, and now has a League Cup final clash with St Mirren to prepare for on Sunday.
Whilst Nancy’s tactics or system can be criticised and blamed for the two results, fingers should also be pointed at the summer recruitment, as several signings have failed to deliver.
Ranking Celtic’s worst summer signings
Celtic swooped to bring ten players in during the summer transfer window, as well as signing Kelechi Iheanacho the day after the window closed, in an attempt to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ side.
A few too many of those recruits, unfortunately, have not stepped up to deliver consistent quality on the pitch for the Hoops, or they have not been deemed good enough to be given many chances to impress.
Hayato Inamura and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, for example, have both made one appearance in the Scottish Premiership this season, per WhoScored, since their respective moves to Parkhead.
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Ranking Celtic’s 5 worst summer signings |
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|---|---|
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Rank |
Player |
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1 |
Michel-Ange Balikwisha |
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2 |
Sebastian Tounekti |
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3 |
Hayato Inamura |
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4 |
Shin Yamada |
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5 |
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey |
As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti also ranks among the club’s worst summer signings, because he has only delivered two goals in 19 appearances, per Sofascore, since his £5.2m move from Hammarby.
We have ranked Michel-Ange Balikwisha, though, as the club’s worst signing, as he currently looks like Celtic’s worst piece of business since they signed Vasilios Barkas.
Why Balikwisha is Celtic’s worst signing since Barkas
Celtic reportedly paid £4.5m to sign Barkas from AEK Athens in 2020, and he only made 24 appearances in three years before being released on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.
The Greek international was never able to establish himself as the number one, with just 15 league appearances in his first season, despite being the most expensive goalkeeper signing in the club’s history, per Transfermarkt.
Since Celtic paid £4.5m to sign Barkas in the summer of 2020, the Hoops have spent more than £5m on six players. Per Transfermarkt, Tounekti, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Adam Idah, Jota, and Arne Engels have all been signed for £5m or more since that summer.
Carter-Vickers and Jota are key players when fit. Trusty, Tounekti, and Engels have started both games under Nancy, and Idah scored 20 goals in all competitions last season before his move to Swansea.
Balikwisha, however, was signed for £5m from Royal Antwerp, costing slightly less than those six but more than Barkas, and has been a huge flop at Parkhead.
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Balikwisha in Celtic’s last 10 games |
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|---|---|
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Opposition |
Minutes |
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Roma |
13 |
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Hearts |
0 |
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Dundee |
0 |
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Hibernian |
0 |
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Feyenoord |
0 |
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St Mirren |
0 |
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Kilmarnock |
0 |
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Midtjylland |
15 |
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Rangers |
10 |
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Falkirk |
29 |
As you can see in the table above, the DR Congo international has been an unused substitute in six of the club’s last ten matches in all competitions.
This season, per Transfermarkt, Balikwisha has made 13 appearances and been an unused substitute on seven occasions for the Scottish giants, which shows that he has failed to even make the pitch on a regular basis.
In those 13 outings, the Belgium-born flop has not scored any goals and provided one assist for the team, which also shows that he has not offered enough at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he deserves more minutes.
Back in September, pundit Hugh Keevins claimed that Balikwisha is “contributing nothing” and that he looks “intimidated” in a Celtic shirt. Unfortunately, three months later, that still appears to be the case.
For £5m, given the aforementioned success of players signed for similar fees in recent years, the Hoops should be getting more out of the former Pro League star on the pitch this season, as he is simply not offering enough.
Like Barkas, Balikwisha has ended up on the sidelines, watching others perform in his place, and it would not be surprising, on current evidence, to see him end up like the Greek international by leaving the club for far less than £5m further down the line.
Celtic star was “set to” leave, now he could be the new Tierney under Nancy
This Celtic star who was set to leave the club in the summer could emerge as Wilfried Nancy’s own Kieran Tierney.
That is why he currently looks like the club’s worst signing since Barkas because he has not contributed as much as the other players brought in for big money, or established himself as a regular starter. However, there is still time left for him to change this opinion and make a career for himself at Parkhead.