Deadline Day Deals

Cmon Lenny let's get a couple of deals done

What are we all hoping to see come in today ?

I'm hoping for at least a Center Back and Striker. Wouldn't mind getting a creative Center Mid in on loan either. Benayoun ? Joe Cole ?

Whats your thoughts?:icon_mrgreen:

 

After banking £23million due to UEFA Champions League qualification money, Ki Sung-Yeung transfer fee, Real Madrid friendly fee and saving £5-6million in wages, what we should bring in?

One £3million Centre Back, One £2million creative Centre Midfielder and One £4million Striker, taking our spending to £11million and approximately £3million net spend and would also wipe out our £7million impending debt aswell as having money left over for financial security.

What will happen?

We'll probably buy Johnny Russell for £2.0million, thus buying an SPL quality striker and not only neglecting to buy the correct type of striker we need but weakening our closest SPL rival and making the title race even less exciting. Then we'll scrape another £2.0million for Efe Ambrose, an unreliable performer for a mid table Israeli Premier League side and perhaps ala Robbie Keane in January 2010, we'll get the bargain of the century, Connor Wickham the 4th Choice English Sunderland striker on loan. The sad thing is, I'd rather that than nothing at this stage, prove my cynicism wrong Pedro and I'll happily admit I was wrong.

 

Oh and welcome to the forum mate.

 

With respect mate, these figures bear no relation to the actual finances of Celtic.

1) We have not banked 23 million, or anything like it, due to CL qualification. Even when we do finally bank the money from it - about a year from now - it will not total anywhere near 23 million. People are fond of totalling up the the revenue for these extra games, while completely ignoring the costs of staging them. These costs are considerable - staffing, logistics, security, policing, insurance, etc etc.

2) The running costs of a club Celtic's size run to tens of millions a season. Without European money we can't cover these costs and have to borrow. You are talking as if we break even without that money, and without Ki's transfer. That is not even close to being true. Ki has been sold because we needed that money to run the club. The wage bill has been reduced not to make extra profit, but because it had once again become unmanageably high and was causing us real problems. The CL money is not profit in the bank, a fair proportion of that too is desperately needed to cover costs.

Don't get me wrong, there will be money for transfers, but the sums available will be in line with the more realistic 4 or 5 million you imply toward the end of your post.

Even then we will not wipe out our existing debt.

I honestly do wish that turnover equalled profit, but sadly I can confirm from personal experience this is not the case. :icon_mrgreen:

 

With the greatest of respect, and I do respect your opinion, I don't agree that my "Alternative of what will probably happen" is the limit of where Peter Lawwell and the hierarchy at Celtic Park could and should invest. It is undeniable that we will receive over £20million for the money for qualifying, Ki Sung-Yeung and the Real Madrid friendly. That more than covers the money for daily logistics and what not. In my opinion, we can back Neil Lennon very fairly in the next 20 hours and keep finances in healthy shape (If not healthier shape) while improving the quality of the squad drastically and giving us an even better chance of atleast 3rd in our Champions League group. Thank you and * bless.

 

p.s I did state that I would rather we invested £4-5million than nothing, however we'll wait and see what today brings and we'll see if my cynicism is just.

 

Thanks mate

 

I'd be absolutely horrified if we spent anything like that, outrageous amount of money.

 

Last year we were told that Celtic's debt was very small. Either we've been lied to, or Ki was needlessly sold. Not to mention leaving all signings to happen in one day.

 

Are you actually telling me you would be "horrified" and think spending £11.0million on 4 different players - Average of £2.75million per player - would be "outrageous" after selling Ki for £6million with add ons, weeks after earning £1million in Philadelphia and having just qualified for the Champions League and that all lucrative £15million jackpot, not to mention stripping £5-6million per year off our wage bill ?!? Wow Pedro loves Celtic custom...I mean supporters like you

 

It's not cynical, it's an accurate assessment of how much we're likely to be able to shell out in transfer fees (wages of course are on top of that). I back your prediction.

That's of course assuming the players we want also want to come here. If not, we may spend less on a stopgap, and keep the funds for next window...

 

So you would be satisfied if the line of "Oh we tried our best, maybe next time" is peddled out by Peter Lawwell and the board after a whole summer and 3-4months to prepare for potential new recruits, especially on the back of the £20-23million we will receive from Champions League participation, Ki Sung-Yeung departing and a 7 figure fee from a friendly in America. Can you say honestly that would be acceptable to you, sir?

 

It wouldn't be acceptable to me if we brought in no-one, but neither of us is suggesting that. We will bring in two or three.

I'm far more interested in the quality of the signings than the pricetag. Most of our best recent signings have been inexpensive ones - Izaguirre, Wanyama, Matthews, Kayal, McGeough. And a number of our bigger-money signings - Fortuné, Juarez etc - haven't worked out. I don't see the point in running up a debt to pay extra, when it doesn't seem to provide us with extra quality.

 

I believe our potential income from recent events and circumstances would ensure that even going slightly all out in bringing in quality players for relatively sensible fees, i.e What the failed loser Tony Mowbray paid West Brom for Marc-Antoine Fortune, wouldn't result in any debt and certainly slashing most of the apparent £7.0million debt we will soon have. Okay well on the note that you agree that no players arriving today would be unacceptable, good night everybody and * bless. I love you really Peter, if you're reading this, but get that chequebook out now!

 

Have to agree here, Celtic should not be be looking to dig any deeper than they have done in our recent succesfull signings. With some young talent coming through going 'Big-Minty bollocks-style' spending makes no sense.

Wages are a massive Opex and its all good and well to band about well known names but I just don't think its needed. Our scouts seem to do a pretty good job without buying more Jaurez style flops.

I, like most, still love to see us linked with bigger names and known players but I fear those days might be beyond us.

 

I'm with ya Frank, and would love to see us buy two to three players in the realm you're talking about.

Our activity in the next 24 hours (not just who we land, but who we target), will make for an interesting insight into the boardroom. I'm afraid of being underwhelmed and coming to the conclusion that our ambition is merely to appear in the CL, and not aggressively compete.

I know our long-term strategy is to spot young talent and develop it; we're doing a * of a job at it. But the fact remains that our team needs extra quality and experience at certain positions now, and addressing those needs will in no way compromise our core business. Some people fixate on a false choice between one or the other, when there's no reason we can't do a bit of both.

 

this is my Christmas day. can't wait to see what we get.

 

We certainly need a CD today. No doubt about it. With Brown's injury problems I've got a feeling we'll bring in a midfielder on loan as well.

If we can find somebody better than Hooper for another option up front that would be great but I can't see it.

Just hope we don't lose a player to a late bid we cannot refuse.


Another thing I've been going on about. Cover for Izaguirre.

 

we dont want to be let down today and hear all the usual exscuses,please give us 3 players at a decent level and we will be happy

 

Get Russell signed.