Redblacks act quickly on Roughriders players as CFL communication window opens

Any lingering uncertainty over Celtic’s move for Junior Adamu disappeared late Sunday night.

Well-connected German reporter Florian Plettenberg confirmed the transfer is effectively complete, stating Celtic and SC Freiburg have reached a verbal agreement.

The player is already in place and the loan arrangement is set to be wrapped up on Monday. With the transfer deadline also falling that evening, an announcement earlier in the day appears likely. Still, Celtic fans know how these things often go — deals that are all but finished are sometimes delayed and revealed later, occasionally at night.

Whether this one is confirmed quickly or timed more carefully could hinge on other potential moves before the window closes. Either way, Celtic have secured their target.

Adamu, 24, joins on loan from Freiburg, having moved to the Bundesliga club from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 for around €5 million. His spell in Germany hasn’t quite taken off.

Game time has been limited and he has fallen down the pecking order, leading to this switch in search of more consistent opportunities. He has featured 18 times this season, scoring twice and providing one assist. Those figures don’t jump off the page, but they come with context.

He has largely been used in brief substitute appearances and never truly established himself as the main attacking option at Freiburg.

For Celtic, the appeal is more about his attributes than pure numbers. Adamu adds a different dimension to the current forward line. He is energetic and able to play across multiple attacking positions. Compared with Tomáš Čvančara, also on loan, and Kelechi Iheanacho, he offers a bit of tactical variety.

This move is not about long-term planning. It’s a short-term fix aimed at strengthening depth and giving the manager another option during a demanding stretch of matches.

With two strikers now in on loan, Celtic’s approach suggests an emphasis on immediate needs rather than future building — a point that has frustrated sections of the support during this window. The paperwork and formal steps still need to be completed, along with the usual club media duties, before it becomes official. In practical terms, though, the deal is done.

Celtic wanted another striker before the deadline and have got one. Whether he proves to be the right solution — or simply highlights how reactive this window has been — is something that will be judged later.

The club are also expected to complete a permanent deal for Joel Mvuka, worth around £3 million, after he underwent a medical on Sunday ahead of his move to Glasgow.