Celtic may finally be about to fill a mission critical role in this squad.

Most of the time, transfer rumours are not worth bothering about. But occasionally they fit a recognisable pattern. Take this window as an example. People keep saying Celtic are looking for a centre-back, yet we have not been linked with one.

No names are flying around. No sense of urgency exists there.

Instead, we keep seeing wingers, which makes sense, and strikers, which makes even more sense.

But there is another position where the stories simply refuse to go away.

I understand why some people dismiss them. I understand why others scratch their heads and wonder why we would bother. But this club’s behaviour over the last four or five years tells a clear story, and I am increasingly convinced that this position is as mission critical as any forward signing could be.

During this window alone, Celtic have been linked with several defensive midfielders in the classic holding role. I do not believe that is coincidence. I believe Celtic are actively in the market for such a player. Not only does that make sense, it is essential.

Too often we see games like the one we watched last night. Games where we have all the craft in midfield you could want, but none of the dig. None of the determination. None of the battling qualities required when you are in the grind, when you are in the cage fight of a title race.

Callum McGregor has filled that role for a while now, but he is not naturally that type of player. He is not an enforcer. That is what we need. It is what we have needed for a long time. The last two managers built systems around unlocking opponents rather than stopping them dead. We focused on imposing talent rather than imposing physicality.

To be fair, it worked. The trophy count proves it. Three doubles and a treble in four seasons is no accident. But no approach works forever, and this may not be the optimal long-term strategy. You need more than one way to win. You need that strength when the situation demands it.

If you buy into the idea of the manager as architect, something I have argued for repeatedly, then the squad is simply a box of tools. Some games require finesse. Others require force. Last night was one of those games where the midfield battle bogged down and we lacked a player who could take the ball under pressure, protect it, and impose himself physically.

A footballer in that mould can tip the balance.

I do not accept the argument that signing such a player diminishes creativity. We already have plenty of creative options. This adds another dimension. It gives us alternatives. It presents rival managers with another problem to solve.

And let us state the obvious. If you go into Europe without that type of midfielder, you are begging for trouble. Almost every team we face will have at least one of them, often two. They will dominate our midfield every time if we do not have an answer.

Even if you doubt its importance domestically, its importance in Europe is beyond question. That is why it defies belief that we have not addressed this issue over the last few years. This is one of the most common player profiles in the game. Almost every club in Europe has one. We do not.

Football purists will complain. Pragmatists will nod. That is why I welcome these links. They do not mean other areas are being ignored. They do not mean the need for forwards is not understood. Listen to O’Neill. He knows exactly what is required up front. But I suspect he also knows this team needs more than goals.

His first Celtic side played thrilling, attacking football, but it was not complete until he signed Neil Lennon to do this exact kind of unglamorous work. Only then did that team truly balance. Only then did the early squad-building feel finished.

O’Neill understands the value of that type of player. He understands Celtic should always have at least one on the books. This is not to say we have never signed them. We have. We simply have not used them. Players came through Celtic Park who could have filled that role but never got the chance because managers failed to integrate them.

O’Neill will not make that mistake.

He knows exactly where they fit. He treasures those players because they do the spade work. They free the creative players and stabilise the team. They tidy up mistakes and win the ball back. If they can play a bit as well, that is a bonus.

So if this is finally the window where we address that flaw, I will be delighted. Almost as delighted as I will be to see a striker or two arrive. This team would benefit enormously from such a player.

If that leaves the midfield looking slightly overstocked, so be it. That is a problem for the summer. This squad has fundamental imbalances, and those need correcting. We have too many attacking midfielders and not enough grafters.

Last night showed it again.

This problem keeps repeating.

It needs fixed.