According to the Daily Record, Jens Berthel Askou has insisted he will work to keep Tawanda Maswanhise amid growing interest in the striker. Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill was at the game with Mark Fotheringham. Askou stated that there has been growing interest in Motherwell players already in the summer window. He added that Motherwell are in no rush to sell and are under no financial pressure to do so. The manager said the sale of Lennon Miller in the summer means there is no need for Motherwell to accept bids at this stage of the season. He also stated that there has been no plan for any player to move on now and that no one has expressed a strong desire to do so. Regarding a potential bid for the striker, Askou said that if one occurs, it will be discussed internally. He added that there is potential in Tawanda Maswanhise and that for now, the club and player will grow together.

Martin O'Neill was present at Motherwell's Scottish Cup victory against Ross County, and there is speculation he was observing Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise. Maswanhise's contract expires in the summer, although Motherwell has an option to extend it by 12 months. Celtic might offer the left winger a significant increase in wages. Motherwell is aware of Celtic's desperation to sign players, particularly strikers. Maswanhise is ineligible to play for Celtic in this season's Scottish Cup because he has already appeared for Motherwell in the competition.

A growing section of the Celtic fanbase wants the club to sign Motherwell's 23-year-old Zimbabwean forward Tawanda Maswanhise, who has scored 10 goals and provided 2 assists in 19 league appearances this season. In supporter circles and on social media, other names like Kieron Bowie and Josh Mulligan have also been mentioned as potential targets. Celtic have been loosely linked with several Scottish Premiership players this January, and interim manager Martin O’Neill has not ruled out recruiting from the SPFL. When asked directly if Celtic would consider a move for players in the domestic league, O’Neill told Celtic TV that there are definitely players in the Scottish market who could play on the team. Maswanhise, who joined Motherwell in August 2024, has a contract that expires in May 2026 and a current Transfermarkt market value of €700k. He has been capped 17 times for Zimbabwe, scoring two goals. Rangers have also recently been linked with a move for the player.