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Celtic Transfers 2024

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by Callum McGregor, Oct 30, 2023.

Discuss Celtic Transfers 2024 in the Celtic Chat area at TalkCeltic.net.

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The Thumb

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GARY KEOWN: Nicholson is Celtic's Mr Invisible but Rodgers needs him to show they mean business in Europe

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...mpaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_dailymailsport

The Thumb, Aug 3, 2024

#7701

NakamuraTastic, henriks tongue and Random Review like this.
Mr Shelby Moderator Moderator Gold Member

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The Thumb said: ↑

GARY KEOWN: Nicholson is Celtic's Mr Invisible but Rodgers needs him to show they mean business in Europe

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...mpaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_dailymailsport
Click to expand...

Posted that in Nicholson thread. Quite a good one I'd say.

Hard to disagree.

Mr Shelby, Aug 3, 2024

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NakamuraTastic and Random Review like this.
henriks tongue

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Very good article, sums things up perfectly.

henriks tongue, Aug 3, 2024

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Random Review likes this.
Notorious Gold Member Gold Member

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Posted in the Michael Nicholson thread but I'll stick this in here too

Notorious said: ↑

MICHAEL NICHOLSON is Mr Invisible. You rarely hear from him. Wouldn’t know what he thinks about much, really. For a chief executive of an institution such as Celtic, it is quite an achievement to dodge the glare of public attention with such aplomb.

Fail to deliver the squad that manager Brendan Rodgers is very clearly demanding by the end of the month, though, and all that will surely change.

Rodgers fielded questions on Friday over transfer dealings — or the lack of them — at Parkhead ahead of today’s Premiership opener with Kilmarnock and insisted he did not want to be drawn into the ‘negative and toxic energy around signings and everything else’.

Fair enough. It’s hard to listen to the Brodge, though, and not suspect that degree of friction that has marked many pre-seasons during his time at the club is already bubbling somewhere under the surface.

Celtic were rotten last season. They got their act together in the closing weeks of the campaign as Rangers fell to pieces and completed a domestic double, but it was not a good watch.

Their dealings in the transfer market were a complete mess. Chairman Peter Lawwell’s son Mark eventually bailed out of his role as head of scouting and recruitment in March as Rodgers largely refused to play the gaggle of new players he had brought in last summer

Five months on, Lawwell jnr has not been replaced. Indeed, from the outside, it is difficult to figure out exactly how the process of identifying, researching and recruiting new talent at the champions actually works.

Mark Cooper, a scout with pedigree in South America and the MLS, arrived in a full-time role a few months ago, but there does not appear to be any established recruitment set-up. There is certainly no sporting director or director of football.

It seems a most unconventional way for a club that purports to be modern and forward-facing to be operating. And that’s where Nicholson comes in.

Celtic’s squad, as it stands, is nowhere near good enough. Nowhere near what a club raking in fortunes through season books, with the guts of £70million in the bank, with £40m due from the Champions League and preparing to sell a £20m-plus asset in Matt O’Riley should be boasting.

At the moment, the group of players available to Rodgers is weaker than it was in May with Adam Idah still to complete a permanent move following a successful loan spell and Kyogo Furuhashi now the only first-team striker in the building.

However you dress it up, that’s not a good place to be with the new season off and running. It is faintly ridiculous. And it’s on Nicholson.

During the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Rodgers made it perfectly clear that the chief executive and chief financial officer Chris McKay are his go-to guys when it comes to getting deals done

Their dealings in the transfer market were a complete mess. Chairman Peter Lawwell’s son Mark eventually bailed out of his role as head of scouting and recruitment in March as Rodgers largely refused to play the gaggle of new players he had brought in last summer.

Five months on, Lawwell jnr has not been replaced. Indeed, from the outside, it is difficult to figure out exactly how the process of identifying, researching and recruiting new talent at the champions actually works.

Mark Cooper, a scout with pedigree in South America and the MLS, arrived in a full-time role a few months ago, but there does not appear to be any established recruitment set-up. There is certainly no sporting director or director of football.

It seems a most unconventional way for a club that purports to be modern and forward-facing to be operating. And that’s where Nicholson comes in.

Celtic’s squad, as it stands, is nowhere near good enough. Nowhere near what a club raking in fortunes through season books, with the guts of £70million in the bank, with £40m due from the Champions League and preparing to sell a £20m-plus asset in Matt O’Riley should be boasting.

At the moment, the group of players available to Rodgers is weaker than it was in May with Adam Idah still to complete a permanent move following a successful loan spell and Kyogo Furuhashi now the only first-team striker in the building.

However you dress it up, that’s not a good place to be with the new season off and running. It is faintly ridiculous. And it’s on Nicholson.

During the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Rodgers made it perfectly clear that the chief executive and chief financial officer Chris McKay are his go-to guys when it comes to getting deals done

Following the friendly win over Manchester City in North Carolina, he made a point of mentioning that he’d been involved in a lengthy meeting with them on transfer strategy.

‘Whilst the club is getting on with that, myself and the coaches were really focused on the improvement of this team, physically, tactically and technically,’ he said. In other words, it’s over to them. And if they don’t start getting a move on, it is Nicholson and McKay who should be taking the flak.

There are no deflector shields now. Lawwell jnr is no longer around to get the grief. And Lawwell snr, although still hanging around as chairman, should not be the focus either

Whilst it is faintly ridiculous he is back in a figurehead position following the failure to clinch 10-In-A-Row three years back, he’s getting on with other stuff these days.

Word from some sources is that the Celtic board do want to splash some of the cash they’ve been hoarding all these years. That they do want to be seen to make some kind of statement, to flex their muscles.

It’s not as simple as that, though. Almost every time Rodgers speaks now, he reiterates the need for quality in new signings rather than the quantity that last term delivered. That, by definition, does not mean a couple of million being scattered around here and there on project players.

At the club’s last annual general meeting, Rodgers was the one who spoke about the need to address Celtic’s utterly embarrassing record in European competition while Nicholson and others were cracking lame jokes about Rangers.

And in recent days, his words, although hardly inflammatory, have made it clear that resting on laurels cannot be accepted — even though the absolute state of their Ibrox (or should that be Hampden?) rivals suggests that Celtic could retain the title by playing 81-year-old Lisbon Lion Jim Craig at full-back rather than just unfurling the flag pre-match today.

The manager wants to do something in Europe. His reputation depends on it. Without hoping to achieve in that arena, you would have to ask why he is back here in Glasgow at all.

And his targets are not unreasonable. The Champions League has a new league phase this term. Celtic are one of 36 teams who will be playing eight games against two sides from each of the four pots

They need to finish in the top 24 to make the play-off round. It is something a club of their size and stature should be capable of. For too long now, though, Celtic have been a laughing stock in UEFA competition, a punchbag for duff teams from diddy nations –—and a source of shooting practice for too many of the bigger teams they come up against.

And, for too long, the board have given the impression that they don’t care. Just as long as they can finish above Rangers in the table and crack the funnies about them when the shareholders get together for a cup of tea at the AGM.

Nicholson has been part of that board for almost three years now. He’s been in the club for over a decade after initially coming on board as company secretary and head of legal.

Shamefully, the support have largely accepted failure in Europe too. But they shouldn’t. They should listen to what Rodgers has been saying this week. And amid his assertion that everything will be fine as long as new faces are in by the end of the month, his comments about not being able to ‘snooze’ in football felt like something of a warning to those above him in the chain.

‘In Europe, we have to be better. As simple as that,’ he stated. ‘You can’t beat about the bush. You look at where we’re at, we have to be better. In order to be better, you need quality.’

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, not so long ago, talked about the importance of European football as ‘a yardstick of football progression’. If that really is the case, Celtic are going backwards at a rate of knots. They need to turn those words into action. And they need to start signing a higher standard of player to do so.

Clearly, going by Rodgers’ account of that pow-wow in North Carolina, Nicholson is the guy entrusted with making that happen, so it’s time for him to start showing why, according to the last set of accounts, he gets paid in excess of £700,000-a-year — or face the music
Click to expand...

Notorious, Aug 3, 2024

#7704
Blochairnbhoy

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27 days to sign 6 players needed and get about 6 out the door. Think we will get the ones out the door but doubt we get anymore in that enhances the squad!

Blochairnbhoy, Aug 3, 2024

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Blochairnbhoy said: ↑

27 days to sign 6 players needed and get about 6 out the door. Think we will get the ones out the door but doubt we get anymore in that enhances the squad!
Click to expand...

Will be lucky to bring in 3, a Left Back project or gem, a striker, project or gem, and a journeyman CB or Midfielder if MOR goes (which seems likely).

10/4 Kemosabe, Aug 3, 2024

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Blochairnbhoy

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10/4 Kemosabe said: ↑

Will be lucky to bring in 3, a Left Back project or gem, a striker, project or gem, and a journeyman CB or Midfielder if MOR goes (which seems likely).
Click to expand...

That would ridiculous and we would need serious questions asked but I tend to agree with you it won't be quality it will be like the window in 2018 before he left. Sell matt on last day and scrambled to get a few freebies or journeyman in

Blochairnbhoy, Aug 4, 2024

#7707
themouth1888

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We MUST see movement next week. Not only in but also out as a lot of dead wood.

I just massively worry about the champions league games with the squad.

themouth1888, Aug 4, 2024

#7708

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celtic warrior

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Idah and two utterly random project will be signed in positions like LW and CM that arguably just aren't where we need signings
celtic warrior, Aug 4, 2024

#7709

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Should be breaking the bank for McTominay

straighttalker, Aug 4, 2024

#7710
honda Gold Member Gold Member

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straighttalker said: ↑

Should be breaking the bank for McTominay
Click to expand...

That wouldn't just break it, it'd empty it

honda, Aug 4, 2024

#7711

dbhoy72, Blochairnbhoy, TheHappyLoss and 1 other person like this.
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Still the best part of four weeks. If another week or two passes and there's been no movement I'll start to panic, but for now I still believe there's enough time for us to sort out - at least - CB, LB and striker. Then obviously a CM if O'Riley leaves.

I think we need another winger on top of that, but if I had to prioritise I'd take the above first.

PaddyJamieson, Aug 4, 2024

#7712

Ryanm1984 likes this.
Mr Shelby Moderator Moderator Gold Member

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We are playing a very risky game.

Not much else to say that hasn't already been said. We need to see movement this week.

Mr Shelby, Aug 4, 2024

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singer61

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Yea a few signings this week and we can start to see a lil improvement in the team I hope

singer61, Aug 4, 2024

#7714

Rydo1888* and Crilly like this.
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straighttalker said: ↑

Should be breaking the bank for McTominay
Click to expand...

The same McTominay who Man Utd have rejected £23m for, aye?

Celtic_Daft1888, Aug 4, 2024

#7715

McGrory1888 and Blochairnbhoy like this.
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Absolute negligence that our signings policy this window is Bernardo and Idah. Quite smart as well from the board. Can point to getting Bernardo done but will likely shrug shoulders on Idah and say "we tried, but they wouldnt accept a bid from us that was less than their valuation"

And of course our scouts are so good they haven't been able to identify a single other player worth going for. Not one. Zero. Nada.

10/4 Kemosabe, Aug 4, 2024

#7716
JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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Blochairnbhoy said: ↑

That would ridiculous and we would need serious questions asked but I tend to agree with you it won't be quality it will be like the window in 2018 before he left. Sell matt on last day and scrambled to get a few freebies or journeyman in
Click to expand...

LCB, LB, ST, RW/ST & CM/DM..

I would be happy with 5.. if at the desired quality a 3rd ST would probably make your 6.. but Maeda can play centrally and maybe the winger required can play centrally..

But, aye too much work left to do by the looks of things.

JC Anton, Aug 4, 2024

#7717

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straighttalker said: ↑

Should be breaking the bank for McTominay
Click to expand...

Id rather break the bank to keen O'Riley.

10/4 Kemosabe, Aug 4, 2024

#7718

Blochairnbhoy, TheHappyLoss, johnboy19 and 1 other person like this.
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straighttalker said: ↑

Should be breaking the bank for McTominay
Click to expand...

The white Bellingham.

Lewis Kerr, Aug 4, 2024

#7719
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We can forget about McTominay, canny afford him.

The Prof, Aug 4, 2024

#7720

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