Celtic are notoriously laboured when it comes to conducting transfer business in a swift and coherent manner. For years under former CEO, Peter Lawwell, the club took an eternity at times in trying to conclude deals. This cost us dearly on a regular basis for Euopean qualifiers in mid-July before the start of the football season kicking off.
Many have made the robust and extremely valid arguement that Celtic’s priority window should not be the summer one, but rather the winter window. The reasoning behind this is that it enables us to integrate new signings more easily, giving them time to adapt to their new settings. This is in stark contrast to the scrambling around at the end of the season trying to get players before qualifiers, often not even bothering to get the required support to the manager in time. As predicted, this brain-numbing way of working almost always ends in tears – or the Europa League to be precise.
Murmurings have been made that Ange Postecoglou is looking to get business done early this January window. Word on the street is that both he and interim CEO Michael Nicholson are looking to break the mould of previous years and get players in as soon as they are available to move. This would be somewhat of a departure in all honesty and a real turn up for the books if true.
Recently though, there seems to be more substance to these rumours, with journalist Peter Martin putting more meat on the bones when it comes to this reputed change in recruitment. Speaking to PLZ Soccer, he said:
“Now Ange Postecoglou has thrown down the gauntlet. Celtic will sign players in January and the word from inside Celtic is he wants them at the start of January. It’s not the old regime of Peter Lawwell waiting to the last day of the transfer window. I see a change in the way they are going about their business.”
If this turns out to be true it will be most welcome in just about every quarter of the Celtic Support. For years we have had to stand by and watch deals meander over the line, often coming too late or even falling through at the last minute. The way Ange Postecoglou likes to operate seems totally antithetical to Lawwellism, with his displeasure in the summer after the Midtjylland game probably hitting a nerve with those up in the Upper Deck.
If we back our man in the January transfer window, we could really be in with a chance of winning back our crown and gaining a free hall pass into the golden gates of the Champions League. A £40 million bounty which would surely send the new Ibrox club into another financial meltdown.
Austerity anyone?
Make mine a quadruple treble, thanks!
Watch the journalist divulge information on the way Celtic will look to work below, 36 mins 30 secs in.…
Paul Gillespie
