Should Celtic be looking for foreign investors

With our rivals ready for American cash, it may be time to widen our horizons

By Jamie Gribben

The Scottish media are excitedly telling us that The rangers are ready to welcome American dosh. Actually, for *excitedly”, I should have said “like teenagers looking at porn for the first time”.

But should Celtic be looking for foreign investors? It's a fair question, and frankly, it's one we should have been seriously debating long before now. Modern football isn't some romantic fairytale anymore—it’s a ruthless business dominated by billionaires, oil states, and American hedge funds. That's the uncomfortable truth we need to grapple with, even if it makes us uneasy.

Let’s not pretend our current financial model is flawless. Sure, it’s delivered domestic success and occasional European adventures, but Celtic are becoming ever more distant from the genuine giants of the game. Champions League nights used to be about competing, not merely participating. Now we’re celebrating the occasional decent performance rather than genuinely challenging Europe’s elite. If the status quo is maintained, the gap will continue to widen, and our famous European nights will become nostalgic memories rather than future possibilities.

But let's be brutally clear—inviting foreign investors doesn't come without its risks. We've seen enough horror stories to know that not every billionaire arriving at the club gates carries good intentions. Clubs have lost their soul, burdened by debt, stripped of their identity, and abandoned by fickle owners when the glamour faded. That danger is real, and it's one we must approach with eyes wide open. Any investor brought into the club needs thorough scrutiny, proper accountability, and must understand what Celtic represents.

Yet, this doesn’t mean we should dismiss the idea out of hand. Celtic need ambition to match our stature, and that means genuine investment—investment in infrastructure, in the playing squad, and crucially, in genuinely competing at a higher level. Domestic success, satisfying as it is, cannot remain the height of our aspirations. There is potential in this club, enormous potential, to reconnect with the pinnacle of European football. But we can’t do that on a modest budget, continually playing it safe.

What matters most is who we choose to partner with, the values they bring, and the conditions Celtic set out clearly from the start. Foreign investment doesn't need to compromise our identity. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and other successful European models show it's possible to secure external capital while maintaining supporter influence and community engagement.

Yet the crucial question remains—would the Celtic board get it right? Recent history isn't exactly reassuring. Supporters have legitimate concerns over governance and decision-making at the club. How confident can we really be that those tasked with identifying suitable investors are up to the job? That, perhaps, is the greatest hurdle of all.

Ultimately, the conversation about foreign investment needs maturity and realism. We cannot afford idealistic fantasies or knee-jerk rejection. We owe it to ourselves to genuinely consider what's best for Celtic’s future. And that might well mean seeking fresh investment—but only with eyes open, strict safeguards, and genuine transparency.

If we want a Celtic that consistently competes, not only domestically but in Europe, it’s a conversation we must have, sooner rather than later.