Celtic have built their domestic campaign around a settled midfield, with Martin O’Neill finding a combination that delivers results while keeping the Scottish champions firmly in the title race. Callum McGregor continues to lead the side, while Benjamin Nygren and summer arrival Mika Baur have strengthened the manager’s options in central areas.
The results underline the benefits of that stability. Celtic boast eight wins and one defeat from their opening nine Premiership matches, collecting 24 points and opening a four-point gap over Rangers. A commanding 7-1 victory over Hearts further demonstrated their attacking quality, with Nygren scoring six league goals across nine appearances.
However, that success has left limited room for another young midfielder to establish himself. Celtic spent £3.4 million to sign 19-year-old Dutch prospect Joël van den Berg from PSV Eindhoven during the summer window, hoping to develop a player who could contribute over several seasons.
The Netherlands Under-19 international arrived after scoring twice for Jong PSV in August. He accumulated 264 minutes in the Dutch second tier before his move to Scotland, offering encouraging early evidence of his attacking contribution from midfield. His Celtic career, however, has yet to begin on the pitch. Van den Berg has made only two matchday squads and remains without a competitive debut under O’Neill.
The Daily Record has reported growing speculation about a possible January loan, although Record Sport journalist Keith Jackson stressed that his checks had not confirmed the story. Contacts in the Netherlands familiar with the player, his family and representatives had not verified that Celtic had informed him of such plans.
Former Celtic defender Glen Loovens has backed his compatriot’s potential. Having watched him extensively for Jong PSV, Loovens described the youngster as a highly regarded, physically gifted box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal. He believes Celtic should give the teenager time to adjust to Scottish football rather than judge him on his quiet start.
“There are certainly rumours kicking about that Celtic might consider letting him leave on loan in January. I have been trying to check it out so I have to say those rumours are unconfirmed. I have spoke to a couple of people in the Netherlands that are familiar with the youngster, his family and his agents. They’ve not confirmed that the player has been told that.
“It’s an unconfirmed rumour at this time, but it does make a little bit of sense because he is nowhere near getting game time in this Celtic side. He is a young boy and Celtic have big hopes for him, but his future certainly isn’t looking all that great if he is sitting rotting and just not getting game time for the entire season.
“Martin O’Neill clearly doesn’t feel he is ready for the first team yet, so maybe send him away for six months to get some football wouldn’t be the worst idea in terms of his progression and his development. I can see why these rumours are starting but having checked it out this afternoon, nothing has come back to us to confirm that is the case.”
Would a January loan protect Celtic’s £3.4m investment or expose a recruitment mistake?
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: Joël van den Berg of Celtic arrives prior to the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on September 02, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
This looks more like a player-management decision than a recruitment failure. Van den Berg joined a competitive midfield where Baur has earned regular opportunities alongside McGregor and Nygren. Disrupting that combination simply to justify a summer signing would make little sense.
The Dutch teenager’s strengths offer genuine promise. His physical qualities, box-to-box movement and goal threat could suit a side that needs midfielders to contribute at both ends. His two Jong PSV goals provide a modest indication of that attacking potential, although they cannot establish his readiness for senior Scottish football.
The concern is his lack of competitive experience at Celtic. Without minutes, the teenager cannot demonstrate his defensive positioning, decision-making under pressure or ability to cope with the Premiership’s physical demands. Those remain unanswered questions, rather than proven weaknesses.
A six-month loan could provide the regular football he needs while protecting Celtic’s established midfield. Ideally, the club would choose a side capable of offering meaningful senior minutes and monitor his progress before reassessing his role in the summer. His weekly salary has not been reliably disclosed, so any assessment of the financial benefits would be speculative.
Loovens’ support gives Celtic another reason to remain patient. A January departure would not automatically condemn the recruitment decision; keeping a promising teenager without a clear route into the team could prove the costlier mistake.