Martin O'Neill may be in line for a significant boost in the January transfer window if Celtic make good on the opportunity to address a previous failure in the market.

The Hoops may still lead the Scottish Premiership by four points from Old Firm rivals Rangers, but Derek McInnes' side have a game in hand and the season has been an inconsistent one at Parkhead.

O'Neill dramatically delivered another SPFL title on the final day last term as he pipped McInnes' Hearts to the post from six points behind, in a campaign where he twice returned to the club over two decades on from his initial reign, and produced magic either side of Wilfried Nancy's ill-fated tenure.

But since being given a new deal in the summer, the club's form has been decidedly less impressive so far this season, with the list of results punctuated by some bruising European encounters, unexpected slip-ups domestically, and a dismal September week which saw three successive defeats in as many competitions and a pair of Old Firm losses.

Significant summer departures headlined by Arne Engels to West Ham, Daizen Maeda to Ipswich, and Reo Hatate to Burnley appear to have disrupted the formula which the manager had used to great effect last term, especially when one of his prime incoming targets wasn't subsequently secured.

Door open for Celtic to make Gineitis amends

Celtic have had their eye on Torino's Gvidas Gineitis as a possible Arne Engels replacement since the Belgian was subject to transfer interest from Nottingham Forest last January.

When he then made a £22 million move to the London Stadium in the summer, the Hoops attempted to bring Gineitis to Glasgow, but failed with a pair of bids which were deemed unsatisfactory by the Italians.

As the January window nears, the door could be open for O'Neill to belatedly get his man, if the club are willing to potentially break their winter transfer record.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb he could be available in the New Year for between €8-10 million (£6.7-8.3m) but his current club have opened talks over a potential new contract in Serie A.

The upper end of that range would overtake the fee paid to bring Jota back in January 2025 but could provide the spark to get the Celtic operation properly back on track this term.

But the Hoops will likely have to make some individual overtures to the Lithuanian international after failing to go the extra mile in the summer.

TMW indicate the 22-year-old was left somewhat hurt by Celtic refusing to bridge the gap in valuations between the two clubs, suggesting they didn't really want him.

O'Neill himself the key to Gineitis deal

O'Neill, on the other hand, was seen as committed to the move, so if there is to be eventual success in landing a player who has five goals in his 36 international caps, it seems likely the Northern Irishman will be key to convincing him.

Having been burned by Jota's serious injury, making him a virtual non-factor since returning, it remains to be seen whether Celtic are willing to push the boat out on Gineitis' fee this time around.

But having ultimately not spent close to what they brought in from sales in the previous window, the finances would seem to be available to get the deal done.

O'Neill surely would like to get it over the line after seeing how things have gone on the pitch subsequently, but it seems he might need to do some convincing to ensure Gineitis himself is still willing after his previous disappointment.

If the club are going to defend their league title, then they are going to need to add something, so if the opportunity is there to settle the Gineitis pursuit at long last it would probably be worth making the extra effort to ensure he is comfortable making the move.