I have already written about Gvidas Gineitis once, and I am still hearing the same thing: he remains a Celtic target and talks are ongoing. Honestly, Celtic, just go for it.
For once, can we please stop standing at the bloody door, knocking politely and waiting for somebody to invite us in? If Gineitis is genuinely the midfielder Martin O’Neill wants, and if Celtic has identified him as someone who can strengthen that middle of the park, then what exactly are we waiting for?
Get yourself down to Torino. Sit across the table, work out what it is going to take and get the bloody deal done. If necessary, grasp the man by the T-shirt and tell him: “You’re ours.”
Before it is too late.
Because this is exactly the sort of signing I believe Celtic should be making.
I wrote about Gineitis before, and my Ginger Witch instincts have not suddenly changed their minds. Quite the opposite. The longer I keep hearing that Celtic is still talking to Torino, the more I think: good, keep going. But get it done!
The 22-year-old Lithuanian international is precisely the sort of player who makes sense to me. He is young, hungry, already playing at a serious level and, most importantly, he is a midfielder. Because we need to talk about that midfield.
Callum McGregor needs help. There, I have said it. We were magnificent today – James is warming up two articles right now – and the midfield was particularly good, but if Engels goes there is a need not only for a replacement but a rebalancing.
Our captain has carried an enormous amount of responsibility for Celtic for years. He has been the heartbeat, the metronome, the organiser and the man who seems to appear wherever there is a crisis waiting to be sorted.
But Callum McGregor is not bloody Superman.
And even Superman would eventually need somebody beside him.
I do not want Celtic building another squad where we look at the midfield and think: well, if Cal stays fit, we are grand. That is not squad building. That is hoping.
And Celtic should not be running a football club of this size on hope.
I want competition and genuine options. I want Martin O’Neill to be able to look towards his bench and see midfielders who can enter a game without the whole structure falling apart. But the immediate problem will be replacing Engels if he goes. I want Callum McGregor to know that there is somebody else capable of taking responsibility.
That is why Gineitis keeps catching my attention.
There is something about this lad which makes me think Celtic should be moving now, not three weeks from now and certainly not on deadline day when Torino suddenly has another club knocking on the door. Because once other clubs start sniffing around, everything becomes more complicated.
The price changes, the player’s thinking can change and the selling club suddenly has more leverage. And Celtic? Well, we know Celtic.
Sometimes this club can make a straightforward transfer negotiation look as though it is trying to negotiate world peace. So just get the bloody thing done.
That is my Ginger Witch spell for today. I am waving my imaginary wand over Torino, lighting the candles, throwing Celtic scarves around the room and chanting: Gineitis to Celtic. Gineitis to Celtic. Gineitis to Celtic.
There. Maybe that will do it.
You never know with witchcraft.
But underneath all the shouting and dramatic Ginger Witchery, there is a serious football argument. Celtic needs midfield strengthening. Not because our midfield is rubbish. It is not. Not because Callum McGregor suddenly cannot play. He absolutely can. It is because the demands on Celtic are too great to rely on the same small group every week and we certainly cannot afford to weaken that group.
We have domestic football, Europe and cup competitions. There will be injuries, suspensions, loss of form, departures and players who need time to develop.
And Martin O’Neill needs genuine options. That is what a squad is supposed to provide, and this guy would fit us like a glove. If Gineitis can come into that environment, grow, compete and eventually become a major player for Celtic, then bring him through the door.
I also love the idea of a young midfielder arriving with something to prove. He is not coming here as some ageing superstar looking for the final comfortable chapter of his career. He is young, ambitious and still has a point to prove.
Celtic should be one hell of a place for him to do it.
Imagine the possibility: a young Lithuanian midfielder walking into Paradise, seeing the Celtic support for the first time, hearing that noise and looking around Celtic Park before realising: aye, this is different.
Then he gets onto that pitch. That is what I want. I want players who want to be here. I want footballers who understand that wearing the Celtic shirt is not simply another line on their CV. It means something.
And if Gineitis has the mentality, ability and hunger to take that opportunity, then Celtic should be doing everything possible to make it happen.
But please, Celtic board, do not turn this into another saga.
I do not want 47 meetings, mysterious stories about negotiations or weeks of “talks ongoing” while other clubs quietly move into position.
If Torino has a price, find out what it is. If Celtic can afford it, negotiate properly. If we sell Engels the money is there, so if add-ons are required, structure them. If the player wants the move, use that to your advantage.
And if Martin O’Neill genuinely wants him, then back your manager.
That may be the biggest point of all.
Martin O’Neill has already shown what he can do when he has the tools, so give him some. Do not hand him a half-built toolbox and then complain because he cannot repair the bloody roof. Midfield is one of those areas where Celtic needs to be ruthless.
We have seen what happens when the squad lacks depth. We have seen what happens when injuries arrive and one or two key players are missing. Suddenly the manager is looking around wondering who can actually step into the role.
I do not want that again. I want Celtic prepared. And I keep coming back to Gineitis.
Maybe he will not become a superstar. Nobody can guarantee that. Maybe he will need time, have difficult games and take months to settle.
That is football.
But if Celtic’s recruitment department genuinely believes he has the qualities to become an important player, then take the bloody risk. Because sitting around forever waiting for the perfect footballer, at the perfect price, at the perfect moment, with absolutely no risk attached is fantasy football.
Transfers involve risk. The trick is taking the right ones. And this one feels like a risk worth taking. So Celtic, you know where Torino is. You know who the player is. You know there have reportedly been talks, you know the midfield needs strengthening and you know Callum McGregor needs genuine support.
You also know Martin O’Neill needs a squad capable of fighting on several fronts.
So what are you waiting for? Go to Torino, get the deal done, get the midfielder on the plane and get him into Paradise.
Before another bloody club gets clever, before somebody else arrives waving a bigger cheque and before this becomes yet another transfer saga which leaves all of us tearing our hair out, grab Gineitis by the T-shirt and bring him home.
That is my opinion. And I have cast my spell.
Gineitis is what we need. Go and get it done, Celtic.
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