Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Celtic are currently reassessing how they operate in the transfer market, with the aim of avoiding a repeat of last year’s turbulent summer…
Although he is due to leave his managerial role at the end of the campaign, O’Neill insists the club will have a stronger and better-structured recruitment framework in place for whoever takes over next.
Speaking via The National, O’Neill said: “I am sure that the new manager coming in, and Celtic should be on the search now, should be looking and have his own scouting system up and running.
“There will be a more robust look at how we approach the transfer market. Sometimes it does go to the last minute, but it’s about having things in place and up and running, not like last year.”
“I don’t know [who Paul Tisdale’s replacement will be], but I assume that some sort of structure will come in that takes all of that into consideration.”
O’Neill added: “If we are signing someone permanently, then you absolutely need to factor it in. We are looking at our own policy ahead of the summer, and what we can do better, and you need to take that into consideration.”
“If you are signing someone from a much lower league, you need to think, ‘Can you handle this and do it quickly?’ But if you are signing someone who has played often in the Bundesliga, they should be able to handle it.”
“If there is going to be some communication, debate, whatever, I am really hopeful that something positive can come out of it. We have a lot of big games coming up, and that would be nice. It is really important that there is some sort of togetherness again.”
Meanwhile, O’Neill is hoping for a vocal Celtic turnout at Ibrox when his team face theRangers in their upcoming Scottish Cup clash next month, urging the club to push for a significantly larger allocation than has been granted in recent meetings between the sides.
Under Scottish FA regulations, Celtic can receive up to 20% of Ibrox’s total seating, with the exact section for travelling fans to be determined jointly by both clubs in consultation with police.
The Celtic boss outlined: “I don’t know what the club’s stance is, but if you take me out of the club at this minute, I want all the tickets that we can get, the allocation that’s available to us under the rules, and I assume that would be forthcoming.”
Conor Spence
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LETS GET RIGHT BEHIND THE TEAM, AND LET THE BOARD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE THINK OF THEM H H