Exit stage left: Celtic's trending star has fans clicking after comments as uncertainty mounts over future

Whether McAvennie is truly in the know is up for debate, but one thing is for sure: McGregor’s future at Celtic is hot topic for the club’s fanbase.

McGregor was heavily linked with Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah during the winter transfer window after his former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers took over the Pro League outfit in December. The speculation has refused to go away - especially with Rodgers’ new side doing well under his tutelage.

McGregor told reporters back in January that he remained wholly committed to the Celtic cause. “No, no, I’m here,” when asked about the interest from the Middle East. He added that he was “even more determined” to bring success to Celtic this season.

The 32-year-old has six matches to do - potentially seven should Celtic defeat St Mirren on Sunday to reach the Scottish Cup final. But once this season comes to a close, there is so much uncertainty at Parkhead. We do not know who the manager will be for the 2026/27 campaign and it is expected that a host of players could move on, the likes of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels.

Speaking at an event earlier this week to promote the Scottish Cup semi-finals, former Celtic striker McAvennie nailed his colours to the mast. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes and joins Brendan in Saudi,” he said, “and he would go with my blessing. He’s been absolutely superb.

“He’s not getting found out, but he’s just not getting the players around to help him. At 32, you need younger legs and he’d still be the catalyst, but he’s not got them at the moment. Callum is getting overrun in midfield. There’s a big gap. You look at Rangers. They’ve got Nico Raskin who sits in midfield. We’ve not had that.

“We had Scott Brown and everyone hated playing against him, the fans hated him. Raskin is the same. Rangers have got somebody in there controlling the game. We need somebody like that.”

It is hard to imagine a Celtic team without McGregor. He has been a mainstay since returning from a loan spell at Notts County in 2014 and has won ten Premiership titles, eight League Cups and six Scottish Cups. He is one of the most decorated players in the club’s history.

He is also one of their most loyal. McGregor spurned the chance to team up with Rodgers at Leicester City in 2019 when he was at the peak of his powers. He retired from international football at the age of 31, after the 2024 European Championships, to preserve himself for the Celtic cause. He bleeds green and white.

McGregor and the Celtic tactics board

This season has hurt McGregor. A player so accustomed to a serene environment, he was tested when Rodgers quit, and tested even further when ill-fated French coach Wilfried Nancy came in and ripped up the Celtic playbook. The image of McGregor quizzically looking at one of Nancy’s tactics board summed up the 33-day tenure. Tellingly, McGregor did very little press activity in that spell.

He appears happier now, although this is the biggest title fight of McGregor’s 13 years as a senior Celtic player. They are three points behind leaders Hearts and two adrift of second-placed Rangers. A near perfect finish is required to retain their crown.

McAvennie’s suggestion that McGregor’s powers are waning were eye-catching. While the midfielder appears far more at ease working under current boss Martin O’Neill, it is clear that he is not influencing games in the same manner as before. This is partly down to those around him; Hatate is well off the boil, Engels has been injured and the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan don’t offer the same synergy as before in a vital part of Celtic’s team.

There are nagging fitness concerns too. McGregor has suffered from calf and Achilles issues. He has a lot of miles on the clock, a whopping 568 appearances across all competitions for Celtic. O’Neill has been managing him recently to make sure he is as fresh as possible for the run-in.

But after that, who knows. Would a new manager want a fresh start, to sever ties with a bastion of the past who is perhaps not at their absolute best any more? Or would McGregor be the ideal henchman to drive a renaissance?

And then there is McGregor himself. This season will have taken its toll on him, of that there can be little doubt. As well as trying to influence matters on the pitch, he will be desperately trying to keep the squad together during a challenging period in Celtic’s history. The disharmony between sections of the fanbase and the board have seeped into the dressingroom. McGregor has admitted as much. His job as statesman has been to shield his teammates from the seethe.

You don’t get that in the serene surroundings of Saudi Arabia. What you do get is plenty of money. Celtic will have taken care of McGregor financially, but moving to that cash-rich league would likely make him a very comfortable man for the rest of his days. He will be 33 when next season begins. Time is starting to run out for a fresh challenge.

The model pro, McGregor’s eyes will currently be fixed on silverware, not gold. Nothing would please him more than to land the Premiership and the Scottish Cup over the next six weeks. But after that, like much at Celtic, there is no certainty over what the future holds for their captain.