Celtic Transfers 2024

Doing things backwards,we all knew we needed (quality)players brought in before CL and we didnt get them,then we get knocked out of Europe and the manager starts talking bout bringing in quality players.....bit * late now.

 

Anytime there's an attempt to strengthen our team, we sell some of our best players. We simply don't hold onto our guys long enough to make a dent in Europe

 

Which is where we need to break free of a wage "cap" brought in by lawwell in 2003 and barely been adjusted in 20 years now.

Our top and earners (outside of Larsson and captains) was on circa 30-35k, we can't pay an entire team that of course, but that limit is still there, where only CalMac is at that level just now.
Need to offer bigger contracts to players like (for an example) a Jota, offer that sort of player the 40k (ignoring the completely random Saudi offer he got) to keep them here a year or two longer than they may usually.

Build that experience and core squad that lasts more than 18-24months.



It's all one thing Rodgers speaking about how this UCL is good experience, but the players worth their salt at this level gain the experience and then will be gone by the time we need that experience to shine for us. Repeat with the next handful of talent we eventually stumble upon.

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I bet you about 99% of us will agree on what positions they were.

GK, LB, DM, RW... we ended up with projects in the DM and RW role with Kwon and Yang and no left back or goalkeeper.

An absolute * farce of a transfer window.

 

I think the new contracts were part of raising our wage budgets. We don't even have the highest wage bill in the country despite having the most money and being the most financially stable.

I know we have to be realistic and smart with our finances, but it feels like we're WAY too safe and ultimately increasing our wage structure is more important than paying crazy amounts on transfer fees.

 

Agree man.

The money we physically spend on players as a cumulative isn't terrible (could still push it out a little more), but it's how thin the money is spread over some amount of deadwood and hopeful talent, rather than the quality for an equal amount.

Increase the wage cap a little, sign the one player at 6millon, rather than 3 at 2mill each.
Also increase wages to offer to high end talent when we've got them, to entice to sign a new contract and extend their stay an extra year or two - which helps support the team with experience at the club and further increase potential value as their contracts are better and they gain more UCL experience (and hopefully wins) by us building on the squad.


But what do we fans know, is probably what lawwell thinks.

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We spent £19m in the summer on 9 signings, I believe.

Nawrocki- £4.5m
Palma- £4m
Lagerbielke- £3m
Yang- £2.5m
Holm- £2.5m
Kwon- £1m
Tilio- £1.25m
Bernardo- Loan w/option
Phillips- Emergency Loan

We brought in £33m in transfer fees

Jota- £27m
Starfelt- £5m
Ajeti- £600k
Hazard £250k

Saved a fortune on bigger salaries

Barkas- Off the Books
Soro- Off the books
Ajeti- Off the books
Hacksa- Loan, salary paid
Mooy- Retired.

Also guaranteed £30m for Champions League income... the more in depth we go, the more infuriating the summer window becomes.

 

Can't blame us for having little faith..

But, if we don't add the quality needed, there definitely will be a massive backlash, can't see Rodgers holding back either..

Will be an interesting window, no doubt..

 

Exactly man, then with the balance books announced, it's mental we didn't push on a little bit here.

Not even wanting the £30m rumoured in the budget originally, nor adding the Jota money or the UCL money etc.

Honestly, if I side with the idea that Rodgers was lied to in the summer (which I tend to), then I can see him walking out after this season if he isn't backed.
Most certainly after second season though, if he somewhat gives them the undeserved benefit of the doubt for the summer ahead.

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I don't think he was lied to, I think we had quality targets but failed to convince them to come here, like Podence and Merlin we were linked with, even pointing at Palma as someone we've spent decent enough money on and has turned out well, there's no chance he was out top target that late in the window.

 

In other words we made a profit in out going transfers so we really spent * all then and how you suppose to do anything in the champions League with those figures .
We really needed to spend £40 million on 6 players rather bringing in 9 on £20 million so it's quantity over quality in that transfer window and the strategy needs to change on January.

 

I think that's the case too. We had first-choice targets in key positions who rejected us or we couldn't get the deal over the line (i.e. Podence) and had to look elsewhere. It's incompetence and why we should aim to get our transfers done earlier in the window.

It'll be difficult to bring in top class signings in January, but I'd be very happy with a forward, keeper, and ideally LB. I would be okay if we waited until Summer to sign a LB, but would be good to get it done in Jan.

 

Not letting the board off the hook (or putting the blame at Rodgers' feet), but it is a consistent theme of Rodgers' managerial career that he does poorly in the transfer window then doesn't take responsibility for it publicly.

With a combination of Rodgers and our board I have zero belief we get even close to what we need in January.

 

His recruitment here was suspect at best and that’s because we allowed him to bring in his own Head of Recruitment in Lee Congerton.

He’s made it blindly clear since he came that the structure here is completely different to what it was. He has, however, explained he gets final say on transfers but I think it could be a case of he’s being offered players like Yang and Kwon and basically being told, it’s them or nothing. So he’s went with them to see if he can coach them to be better.

He made similar claims at Liverpool, he wanted Alexis Sanchez and ended up with either Balotelli or no one. He chose the player in the hope he could coach him to be better.

 

To be honest I find it hard to believe a word Rodgers says when it comes to transfers, loads of conflicting statements and passive aggressive swipes. What is clear is his records at previous clubs (including us) and that hardly fills me with confidence.

I have little faith in Lawwell Jr either, his record with us has been poor. The two windows with Ange were an anomaly i think and just the product of Ange's own knowledge and instinct.

 

We definitely need a striker and a left back I think we will go through the rest of the season with hart in goal and look in the summer.

 

Basically, what we all expected us to do in the transfer window, is what Rodgers expected also. We just have a board that lack any ambition. To be fair, Rodgers knew that first hand from before. It feels worse this season though, because we all know that we have the money available to push to try and make progress in Europe. 4 quality additions would go a long way. We were in a great position at the start of the window.

Three of the four positions I think is pretty obvious as well. GK, LB & DM. That was before we lost Jota and Starfelt of course. I’m not hopefully January will see us bring in quality either. I just don’t think this board have the ability to take us forward.

 

Squad is bloated as * literally full of development players outwith the 9 or 10 that people have mentioned!

We played the long game in the summer waiting on quality apparently was the cry and the general assumption.

We need 2 or 3 players in during the early part of the window 100% get them in and get them bedded in during the winter break, we aren't going away to dubai now. Looking at potentially alicante (where Scotland go) for a 5 day trip.