If I were to analyse our transfer business this summer, I’d begin by asking myself ‘are Celtic currently a better team than we were last season?’. The answer to that question, in my opinion, is no.
Having lost Jota, the wings are undoubtedly weaker. Aaron Mooy departing leaves the central midfield options weaker than previously, and Carl Starfelt’s departure may or may not leave the centre of defence weaker. One hopes that Nawrocki is a replacement of similar or even superior calibre.
Last season we had a strong team and the hope was that we would add two or three players of real quality to the squad in order to reach the next level and be competitive in Europe. Instead, we have lost three players of quality rather than building on what we had.
The mental thing in all this is that we have made tens of millions in the process. We have Champions League money guaranteed, which totals circa £40m, along with bagging £25m for Jota, £4.5m for Starfelt, and the Japan Tour money – all adding to last season’s Champions League money, Australia Tour, and the sales of players like Juranovic and Giakoumakis.
Nawrocki aside, most of the players we have brought in are projects. These young prospects may turn out to be excellent and there are promising signs with Holm and Yang already. But we have the money there to sign established players of proven quality, rather than taking a gamble.
If we are serious about competing in Europe, getting third spot in a Champions League Group and having a proper crack at a run in the Europa League (our last opportunity to do so before the Champions League format changes to prevent teams dropping down), then we need to invest.
It is unimaginable and underwhelming to think of Celtic earning record profits, bringing in a top class manager, and ending up weaker, or not improving, on the park. This would be even tougher to swallow when all the summer talk was about £30m budgets, and Rodgers being back for European football.
There is still time left to get business done. But time is running out. The Champions League groups start in a few weeks and the first Glasgow Derby is two weeks away.
We need to see some movement and some established players come in soon, to get us to where our ambitions should be. If not, one has to wonder what the point in the transfer model is. After all, the whole point in making money is to then be able to spend it on improving the team. There comes a time when the model can be scaled up, and it would hopefully work the same way with sell on value being higher, in line with the initial buying price.
Few could honestly say we have improved the squad since Brendan arrived, but that could change if the rumours about Daniel Podence are true. He is exactly the marquee type of signing we should be looking to secure. A proven English Premier League star and Portuguese international – Podence is a man capable of filling Jota’s boots.
Players like Podence represent improvement of the type that is necessary if we want to avoid finishing bottom of the Champions League Group without a win again. Let’s hope he comes in and another couple of significant statement signings join him.