Reo Hatate has reiterated his desire to play at a higher level in European football stating that he has ambitions to play in the Premier League and also in Spain or Italy.
This is of course music to the ears of the Scottish mainstream media who didn’t need much convincing to run with their Hatate wants away story.
But it’s not really a secret that Reo has ambitions to play at a higher level, and so he should, as it’s quite within his rights. And it’s no secret that Celtic has a business model that strives to sign and develop players who will then be targeted by clubs in these top leagues across Europe or even further afield as was the case with the £25m sale of Jota to Saudi Arabia.
We want players in our side who strive to play at the highest possible level, it’s only a good thing for both parties. That’s our recruitment strategy after all, bring in potential talent at a decent fee and sell them on for a massive profit, and Reo is no different.
We are a big club, and Reo will be lucky if he signs for a club as massive as us, but the truth is that leagues such as the EPL, the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A are seen as more attractive and it’s where ambitious players want to test themselves.
Reo just recently signed a new deal so the club hold all the cards, but Reo will move on maybe not this season but the next, I don’t think that will come as a shock to any of us. The biggest frustration to both his own and Celtic’s ambitions for him is his injury record which would probably make most potential buyers think twice as things stand.
The Japan international midfielder needs to stay fit and shine at Celtic this season if he is to realistically attract the kind of interest his Celtic teammate Matt O’Riley is receiving this summer.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Looking for a higher level than the treatment room. 1 of 40 1st team players I would free this season – except O’Riley.
Celtic only have 30 registered first team players AND we won a 2/3 domestic trophies on buttons. The physio room issue is having 30 players and about 9 that have to play every second to get domestic success. Squad need quality in depth but t hat costs real dough. You rotate out CCV there is a massive drop, you don’t,? Eventually you will get an injury.
reo , has to do it in scottish football first ,turning up occassionally wont earn him a move anywhere and he might end up back where he came from , so if he wants to play in a better standard he best prove his own standard first , give me the boy from dundee before him as i know that lad will turn up , and give all everyweek
A wet Wednesday at Paisley or a golden sunset in the San Siro… for more money and respect? If Celtic had the riches of these other leagues, the TV revenue, the marketable opposition, we would be unstoppable.
But right now it is rubbish weather, no exposure, poor competition and a very small aperture through which to succeed on the European stage.
If I ran our club and one of the top five leagues offered Celtic a spot, there would be a cartoon puff of smoke left in our wake. Play in Glasgow against Man City or Barca or Bayern Munich or AC Milan minimum 2 times a season with big league TV cash? Where do I sign?
It’s good that guys, guys we can keep for a season or 3, have that ambition. They can raise our bank balance and when they suceed else where with regularity it raises our profile, maybe then an invite to a top 5 league will be less pie in the sky and Celtic can get back to where we were a few decades ago, competing for the top prize in world club football. It’s our conditions holding us back, in those situations we can keep those ambitious players and build around them.
Think of a Celtic where we kept VVD, Wanyama and KT and all the good players destined to play at a higher level than Rugby Park HH
This.
Getting Celtic out of Scotland should be the board’s main priority.
When the Huns inevitably liquidate again, this country’s league will be a vacuum of competitive challenges, with its reputation really in the dirt.