It's difficult to think of too many players who are quite so vital to their team as Celtic skipper Callum McGregor, the experienced Scot having long been the standard-bearer at Parkhead.

12 years on from his Hoops debut, the 33-year-old is an 11-time Premiership winner, leading the charge time and again in a relentless pursuit of domestic dominance.

It said it all last season that even against lower league minnows, Auchinleck Talbot, the captain still played 80 minutes in that 2-0 victory, with Martin O'Neill not willing to take the risk of seeing what his side looks like without McGregor in it.

Indeed, the academy graduate proved the one true constant amid midfield upheaval in 2025/26, with now the time to ensure he is aided by new arrivals to partner him.

Celtic handed boost as £2m target makes transfer decision

There could be something of a mass exodus from Celtic's midfield ranks this summer, with Paulo Bernardo and Reo Hatate seemingly destined to depart, while a decision still needs to be made on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's contract extension.

Equally too, there is also the small matter of Arne Engels' future, with reports last week revealing that Nottingham Forest and Sunderland are battling it out to sign the impressive Belgian.

One man who has been tipped to potentially replace the 22-year-old is Bosnia's Benjamin Tahirovic, although O'Neill and co could also look a little closer to home too for a standout option.

As reported by CeltsAreHere, the Scottish champions have been handed a significant boost in their pursuit of Hibernian midfielder, Miguel Chaiwa.

Talks have already been carried out regarding a deal for the 22-year-old in recent months, although there has been little progress as yet amid a difference in valuation.

That said, the positive news is that Chaiwa is believed to be keen on making the switch, with the transfer fee - potentially set to be around £2m - seemingly the only sticking point.

Why Chaiwa signing could be good news for McGregor

It's felt like a long while since Celtic boasted a dynamic, athletic midfield core, with the lack of mobility having been a distinct issue in 2025/26, particularly with Benjamin Nygren making up the midfield trio.

The likes of an ageing Oxlade-Chamberlain and an out-of-sorts Hatate also offered little in that sense either, with now the time for a fresh injection of youth and energy - something that Chaiwa would certainly provide.

As noted by writer Michael Shearer, this is a man with "elite pace", someone who can cover ground effortlessly and at speed, thus providing exactly what Celtic have been crying out for of late.

Indeed, in the view Hibs boss David Gray, he's a "proper modern-day midfielder":

In the Premiership last season, for instance, he matched McGregor with 0.9 interceptions per game, with the next highest midfielder in O'Neill's ranks having been Engels with just 0.5 in that regard.

A powerful, towering midfielder, Chaiwa is real pillar in the Hibs midfield, as seen in the fact that he was dribbled past just 0.6 times per game in 2025/26.

The Zambian also won 56% of his total duels and 59% of his ground duels, so adept at regaining possession for his side. For comparison, while Engels may have been operating in a more dominant, possession-heavy side, he did only win 41% of his total duels and 38% of his ground duels.

There's also plenty to like about Chaiwa's ball-carrying ability too, having averaged 0.8 successful dribbles per game, again significantly ahead of Engels for that same metric (0.1).

Such quality was particularly evident in the February meeting between the two sides, with Chaiwa successfully completing all four of his attempted dribbles, while winning six of eight ground duels and boasting a stellar 91% pass accuracy rate.

He's neat and tidy, yet can nicely wriggle his way up the pitch, potentially easing the burden on McGregor in carrying out that task of progressing play from deep.

Not only would Chaiwa potentially provide something of a long-awaited understudy to the skipper, but he could also offer the ageing star a suitable partner, allowing McGregor's attacking talents to come to the fore.

It's felt, at times, that the long-serving playmaker has almost had to do it on his own in midfield in recent seasons, yet bringing in fresh, youthful legs could help to shift the dynamic.