“I encourage it. If big clubs want our players that’s great,” Ange Postecoglou

Yesterday we reported on the news that Matt O’Riley has become a summer signing target for Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City although noting that the former Celtic manager has to sell players before he is in a position to buy anyone. Indeed Leicester remain the only Premier League side not to buy a new player in the window ahead of the new season.

After yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Legia Warsaw at the Artur Boruc testimonial the Celtic manager was asked about this story and was relaxed about it, indeed the Celtic manager seemed rather pleased that his signings are now attracting interest elsewhere as it suggests that they are progressing well at the club and their attributes are being noted elsewhere. Not that Ange thinks he’s going to be losing O’Riley, Juranovic or any of the others soon.

“I encourage it,” Ange revealed in his post match media conference as reported by Scottish Sun. “If big clubs want our players that’s great. It’s means they are going well.

“I keep saying to the boys they don’t need to worry about their futures if they are the best they can be today. The other kind of stuff doesn’t come on my radar so I don’t worry about it.

“I’ve not seen anything from Matt to suggest he’s thinking about these things either. The players know why big clubs might come in for them. It’s not because we’ve given them publicity — it’s the work they do day in and day out.

“Matt’s got a lot more in him — they all have. That’s my job. For anyone here to be past their best, they might as well not be here. My job is to get more out of them. Obviously Matt had a big season here last year.

“He established himself at first-team level at MK Dons then with us. He’s just beginning his career. We’ll push him to be the best he can possibly be, as we do with all of them, because that’s what’s required here.”

The plan that Celtic have after Dermot Desmond interviewed Ange then gave the green light to Peter Lawwell to appoint him as Celtic manager is for Ange to remain at the club for the long term. His success in the transfer market and on the pitch will mean there should be high value bids for some of these players brought into the club by the Australian. That will generate large profits from player transactions and the process will be repeated time an time again.

That appears to be the plan, and you’d struggle to think of a Postecoglou signing (one that was actually his) whose value hasn’t risen substantially over the past year.

The selling phase probably won’t kick in to next summer at the earliest, unless an incredibly high offer arrives in January after the World Cup for the likes of Juranovic.

With the European football and a domestic treble to chase down this Celtic team is just getting started.

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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