Yes, Celtic signing Oxlade Chamberlain would be a major coup.

I do not know whether the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain approach, deal, discussion, or whatever it actually is, was ever serious. Nobody really knows. To suspicious Celtic fans, it inevitably looks like a smokescreen. It looks like something designed to make this window appear more ambitious than it has been.

I do know this much. The chances of us landing him are slim either way, and Martin O’Neill did not even attempt to disguise that fact at his press conference the other day.

If it happened, it would rank as the most ambitious move by a Scottish club in twenty years. I know the naysayers will scoff at that idea, but it remains true.

If Celtic pulled this off, it would be a sensation. It is one of those stories that sounds too good to be real. This board has mastered deflection and obfuscation, which is why this one will not wash until or unless Oxlade-Chamberlain signs on the dotted line. Nobody will believe it until he is standing on the pitch at Celtic Park.

For me, this feels like a non-starter, but it is a big enough story that you still have to address it.

A few years ago, when the Ibrox club had just completed the signing of Aaron Ramsey, I found myself in conversation with a group of London-based advertising executives who had come up to Glasgow for meetings. Over dinner, we discussed whether Ramsey was the biggest signing a Scottish club had ever made. They framed it in terms of profile, international caps, and reputation.

I told them that idea was nonsense.

I told them there was already a much bigger player in Scotland, and he played for Celtic. The player I had in mind was Joe Hart, and I stand by that to this day. Joe Hart was a far bigger signing than Aaron Ramsey. He delivered far more for Celtic than Ramsey ever delivered for them. Ramsey’s biggest contribution was missing a Europa League final penalty, an act for which I will forever hold him in the highest esteem.

The point stands. Hart arrived with English Premier League titles, England caps, and genuine stature within the game. His pedigree dwarfed Ramsey’s.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a bigger signing than Ramsey ever was, and he would have a far greater impact on Scottish football. There are obvious concerns about fitness. There are legitimate questions about how long it has been since he played regularly. Even so, he remains a superior footballer with a far deeper pedigree.

In fact, Oxlade-Chamberlain would represent a bigger signing than Joe Hart was for Celtic.

This move, if it exists at all, comes directly from O’Neill. No bean counter at Celtic Park dreamed this up. O’Neill has clearly done exploratory work, and even he does not sound overly confident about pulling it off.

Oxlade-Chamberlain will be weighing his options. Some have suggested a return to Arsenal, but that would need to happen quickly due to registration deadlines in England. If that deadline passes, a return south becomes impossible. Interest from other European leagues seems inevitable, yet he has been available for some time, which makes the silence notable.

It is no coincidence that O’Neill referenced Oxlade-Chamberlain’s conversations with Joe Hart. If you want someone to sell Celtic, even in its current state, to a top-level professional from England, Hart is your man.

He understands the club. He understands the supporters and what it means to be embraced by the Celtic family. Hart knows what it is like to leave Glasgow as a Celtic hero. That kind of advocacy matters. It is a powerful force multiplier, and one the club underuses.

Paulina wrote earlier this week about how Celtic fails to sell its own culture properly. Fortunately, former players often do that work for the club. Joe Hart stands among the strongest advocates Celtic has. When he talks about the club, the affection is unmistakable. He clearly views his time here as one of the high points of his career.

That could yet prove decisive.

All of this, of course, assumes the talks are real and not another deflection tactic. I would not rule that out entirely. Still, O’Neill’s willingness to speak publicly suggests genuine involvement and some optimism. I do not expect this to drag on.

A decision will come soon, probably before the end of the week. Either Celtic will announce a sensational signing, or this will quietly disappear into the rear-view mirror. Either way, it will not significantly alter how fans judge this window.

Even so, in pure profile terms, Oxlade-Chamberlain would be the biggest name to arrive in Scottish football in two decades. Whether that translated into success on the pitch would depend on fitness, form, and the length of any deal.

There is no serious doubt about his quality. He remains an outstanding footballer. If O’Neill believes the deal can be done, he is entitled to pursue it.

I doubt it will happen. Even so, I would not criticise the club, the manager, or the attempt itself if it did. Pulling this off would constitute a major coup. You would need to be exceptionally churlish to pretend otherwise.