The two stand-out points from Ange Postecoglou’s Media Conference today were the news that four players had returned to training this morning and that the Celtic manager is totally dismissive of just about all the transfer gossip stating that only about 10% of what’s written has any basis in fact. The rest is uninformed nonsense with the Celtic manager brilliantly outlining his theory on where these stories come from!
“I’m not sure who’s linking us, so I don’t really know. I’m not across it all the time but Iain (Jamieson, Celtic’s PR Chief) keeps me abreast. I reckon about 10% of what’s out there at the moment is anywhere close to the truth.
“That’s not because I think people are being deliberately misleading. They get a bit of information from their cousin’s barber’s neighbour and it becomes Celtic are linked to a certain player.
“From my perspective, I don’t stress about that stuff. When we’re ready to do business, people have seen in the past we do it. We don’t do it in the media, we don’t do it through speculation, we don’t do it through being linked. It’s pretty straightforward. If there’s an opportunity there and we feel really good about it we’ll move quickly and get it done.”
It would take a very skilled observer of the Celtic manager to accurately assess where the stories surrounding Celtic being actively involved in the race to sign South Korea’s World Cup star striker Cho Gue-sung with all reports indicating that Celtic are one of two sides with an active bid on the table for the player.
Reliable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano earlier this week gave details on the apparent state of play regarding bids received for the striker.
“South Korea’s Cho Gue-Sung has now three proposals: Celtic have made €3m bid with 50% on future sale up to €6m, while Minnesota offer €5m plus 30% on future sale.”
South Korea’s Cho Gue-Sung has now three proposals: Celtic have made €3m bid with 50% on future sale up to €6m, while Minnesota offer €5m plus 30% on future sale. 🚨🇰🇷 #transfers
Mainz have also made a proposal close to €3m. Discussions are taking place to decide next club. pic.twitter.com/jPN9KIXRWR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 11, 2023
Romano also this week mentioned Celtic as one of the sides who are looking at talented young Polish striker Szymon Wlodarczyk whilst talking to Polish outlet but that one seems a much longer shot as Celtic will be looking at plenty of players for many positions who fit our profile for incoming players and are expected to be within our price-range.
On Cho Gue-Sung it’s hard to dismiss the stories that have emerged but many supporters will have a gut feeling that the player would have been signed by now if he wanted to come.
🍀🇵🇱 The ever reliable @FabrizioRomano name dropping Celtic as one of the sides who are looking at talented young Polish striker Szymon Wlodarczyk whilst talking to Polish outlet @Meczykipl ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6Q7LzKtb3C
— Josh McCafferty (@Joshmcc_05) January 13, 2023
On the injured players returning to training after injury problems, today saw Sead Hakšabanović, Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh and James McCarthy return to training and while now are going to be involved tomorrow, it now likely that from the St Mirren game in the league on Wednesday night the squad options will be greater for the manager with these players coming back. Greg Taylor remains on the sidelines recovering from his hamstring strain picked up at Ibrox on 2 January.
Stephen Welsh of course is one linked with a move away from Celtic in this transfer window as he seeks first team football and a fit James McCarthy could also fall into that category. Meanwhile while Adam Montgomery is now back at Celtic after completing his six months loan deal at St Johnstone, local paper The Courier report that the door is not closed on the defender returning to McDiarmid Park for the rest of the season.
Here’s Ange Postecoglou’s media conference ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock at Hampden and if you want to know the story so far when the two clubs have met in this competition then David Potter is your man and you can read that here.
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