Right then, who's taken the credit card? Yes, after a muted start to the transfer window, Scottish champions Celtic are beginning to throw their weight around again, sealing deal after deal in remarkable fashion.

A year ago, the Hoops were shopping in the bargain bin and paid the price, the minimal £1.5m investment in Shin Yamada one of many moves to have gone pear-shaped.

Now, in a crucial juncture in the future of this club, following a rocky 2025/26, the squad is being significantly bolstered, as it should be, with last season perhaps having provided the scare that the Parkhead hierarchy needed.

The deadline is looming, but there's no sign of the Glasgow side slowing down as yet, with a deal for Bosnian sensation, Ermin Mahmic, seemingly set to be the next to be completed.

What Celtic can expect from Ermin Mahmic

With Mika Baur already looking like the second coming of Reo Hatate, the issue remains that Celtic still need to replace Arne Engels in midfield, the Belgian leaving behind a void in terms of his mobility and athleticism.

The intriguing element of signing Mahmic is that, like Baur, he doesn't appear to be the direct successor to Engels either, more in the mould of a floating playmaker than a powerhouse number eight.

Operating typically as a number ten or advanced midfielder, the 21-year-old is more likely to be a genuine rival to Benjamin Nygren in that role, an exciting development, it must be said. Unless your name is Luke McCowan, that is.

It was only recently that Mahmic sparkled at the World Cup, scoring twice for Bosnia in the group stage, including a belting, Camilo Duran-esque volley against Switzerland.

He's a truly silky, elegant playmaker, so comfortable on either foot and when receiving possession in tight spaces, having also shown himself to be no stranger to a stinging strike from range.

Last season in Czechia, for instance, he scored and assisted ten goals for Slovan Liberec, with three of his seven goals coming from outside the box, while two were on his left and five were on his right.

Previously at Austrian side SV Lafnitz, he also notably scored and assisted nine goals in the second tier in 2024/25, boasting a stellar average of 2.6 successful dribbles per game.

He's a truly eye-catching talent, alright, one that should certainly have tongues wagging in Glasgow. Let's hope there's more where that came from too.

How Celtic could seal an even better signing than Mahmic

As noted above, there is still a need to fill Engels' shoes at Parkhead, with Mahmic's arrival more likely to mean the end of the road for the long-serving Hatate.

Equally too, the news of Alistair Johnston's injury blow could also force O'Neill into the market again to find a new right-back, with the left flank already set to be bolstered by Chelsea teenager, Landon Emenalo.

In need of a new central midfielder and cover at full-back too, the perfect man for the job could well be Niko Sigur, the Hajduk Split star heavily linked with a move of his own to Scotland.

As per reports in Portugal, with Celtic having one foot in the Champions League proper, they are set to accelerate their interest in the Canadian and are expected to 'make a bid soon'.

Previous reports have indicated that Sigur, valued at around £4m, has his heart set on joining O'Neill's ranks, with there perhaps a hope that 'agent Johnston' is doing his best to ensure a deal for his compatriot goes ahead.

As the report suggests, it is the 22-year-old's versatility that has particularly caught Cetlic's eye, the all-action star comfortably operating at right-back or in his preferred defensive midfield role.

He might not be quite as silky or glamorous as Mahmic, but he's perhaps more likely to be the man to fill Engels' void, while also providing the added bonus of his cover for Johnston on the right flank.

He may not have quite grabbed the attention as much as the Bosnian at the World Cup this summer, but Sigur did impress even as Canada were dumped out by Morocco, hailed as the "best player on the pitch" for the hosts by manager Jesse Marsch.

As Marsch alluded too, he's a player that can seemingly do it all, so adept both in and out of possession. £4m might well be a bargain.

Indeed, back in Croatia last season, he ended the campaign with a standout 90% pass accuracy rate, having also made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game on average.

He's a real workhorse off the ball, and for all Mahmic's quality, the younger man just isn't that type of midfielder, averaging only one tackle and interception per game.

Of course, Mahmic did come out on top in terms of goal involvements (ten vs three), as well as for key passes made (1.3 vs 0.6), although his creative streak ensures he is far more erratic in possession, recording just a 72% pass accuracy rate.

Having the Liberec star causing chaos in the final third will be truly exciting, but Sigur looks like the man to keep things ticking behind him, the player who could strike up a more natural balance with Callum McGregor than perhaps even Baur.

Considering the nature of the potential price tag, Sigur's signing would surely be a coup for the Premiership giants.