Celtic's board have shown that they are willing to back Martin O'Neill by splashing the cash on several new signings to bolster the squad this summer.

A fee in excess of £11m was committed to the signing of Denmark international Kasper Hogh, who scored a hat-trick against Kilmarnock earlier this month.

Winger Haissem Hassan has also been brought in from Real Oviedo in a deal worth up to £9m and central midfielder Mika Baur has been signed from Paderborn for a fee of up to £6.8m.

The Hoops are not done there, though, as they look set to make further additions to the squad before the summer transfer window slams shut next week.

Where Celtic need to strengthen next in the window

After Arne Engels completed a £22m move to Championship side West Ham United, Celtic are in need of a central midfielder who can provide goals and assists.

The Belgium international produced 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership giants before moving down south, offering a decent threat at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Celtic, therefore, need to dip into the market to sign a central midfielder who can offer goals and assists, in the hope of finding their next version of Matt O'Riley.

The Denmark international was even more effective than Engels in the final third, as the Belgian failed to fully replace his output, and earned himself a £25m move to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2024.

The next move on the agenda for the Scottish giants, therefore, should be to identify and sign a star who could become O'Neill's own version of O'Riley in an attempt to replace Engels.

How Celtic can sign their next version of Matt O'Riley

Now, the board are said to be looking at a player who could arrive at Parkhead in the coming days as the exact type of midfielder they need.

According to Football Insider, Celtic have set their sights on a deal to sign Slovan Liberec attacking midfielder Ermin Mahmic before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the two teams are in negotiations over a move for the Bosnia international ahead of next week's transfer deadline, as O'Neill has prioritised further additions to his midfield.

It adds that a deal worth up to £8.5m is potentially set to be agreed between the clubs, which would see him become the latest big-money addition to the squad this summer.

The 21-year-old talent would be an exciting addition to the squad if the club do manage to agree an £8.5m deal to bring him to Parkhead before the deadline, as he has the potential to develop into an O'Riley-esque figure for O'Neill.

His performances in the top-flight in Czechia last season suggest that he has the tools required to be an effective attacking midfielder for Celtic, in a side that are expected to dominate week-in-week-out.

Despite playing for a team that finished sixth in the division, rather than competing for the title, Mahmic racked up 12 goals and 'big chances' created combined.

His goalscoring attributes were on full display at the World Cup in the summer when he scored two goals in three appearances for Bosnia at the tournament, including a sensational strike against Switzerland on the volley.

A return of two goals in three games at the World Cup shows that he can deliver on the biggest stage and under pressure, which is exactly the kind of mentality that Celtic need from their players with the pressure that they play under at Parkhead.

Mahmic may not be delivering O'Riley-like numbers yet, as he has not hit double figures for goals and assists in a season, but he has yet to play in a team as dominant as Celtic.

Playing for the Hoops, in a side that controls matches and constantly puts attacking players in positions to thrive, could allow Mahmic to kick on and become the club's next version of O'Riley as a star who provides goals and assists on a consistent basis.

That is why the club should be pushing to agree a deal for the 21-year-old starlet as quickly as possible before the summer window slams shut next week.