Celtic's playoff draw set for Aug 3, new signings announced

Celtic now know the pool of potential opponents standing between them and a return to the UEFA Champions League group stage after advancing to the playoff round. The draw for the two-legged tie will take place on Monday, August 3, with Celtic seeded, avoiding other top-ranked teams. The first legs are scheduled for August 18 or 19, with the return fixtures on August 25 or 26.

The Scottish champions' potential opponents, confirmed after the latest qualifying results, include Viking Stavanger of Norway, LASK Linz of Austria, and NK Celje of Slovenia, who must first overcome Ararat-Armenia. They could also face the winner of ties between Aarhus or Sabah, and Kairat Almaty or Levski Sofia. A reunion with Kairat Almaty, the Kazakh side that eliminated Celtic on penalties at this stage last season, is possible should they defeat Levski Sofia. Their third qualifying round concludes on August 4 and the following week.

Club captain Callum McGregor, addressing speculation about his own future amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia, affirmed his commitment to Celtic. The 33-year-old midfielder stated that Celtic Park is the only place he wants to be and that his full focus is on the...