Maybe now is the time to consider alternatives to Adam Idah and move for other targets that Celtic will have…
It looks increasingly unlikely that Adam Idah will join Celtic with each passing day. I said the other day that I believed he will still end up at the club, but I’m starting to have my doubts.
The clubs look a distance apart in their transfer valuation and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon. Yes, Adam wants to return to Glasgow, but Norwich hold all the cards and quite rightly aren’t budging on what they believe is a fair price for their player.
There’s been no other clubs credited with an interest in signing the Irish international striker, outside of Celtic and it’s well known that the player had an unhappy, frustrating spell at Norwich last season where he struggled for both starts and form. His valuation is down to his success at Celtic on his loan spell.
The two clubs current valuations are millions apart with Celtic sticking to around a 50% uplift on the £3m valuation of the player at the start of February while Norwich appear to be looking, judging from their fans forums, for a 100% increase to take the price to £6m.
With add-ons likely to prove fruitful for the Carrow Road side, and with Celtic using these effectively with other clubs in transfer dealings – Benfica being a good example on the Jota deal – the gap can be closed. A complication is that Norwich need the money from outgoing transfers to fund any new deals, much the same as the situation at Ibrox. And with a new manager in place the plan will be to maximise their return from Celtic as they know fine well that the Celtic manager, the player himself and the Celtic support want the signing done.
Can you really blame them for that? Probably not, but they are in danger of overplaying their hand, and in doing so failing to secure funds to bring in the manager’s own players while being left with an unhappy want-away – and we know from bitter experience at our own club that doesn’t end well.
Adam is currently on a pre-season tour in Belgium with the Canaries so we have to accept that situation and admit that as things stand he is pretty much in the thoughts of new boss Johannes Hoff Thorup, unless a third bid from Celtic is accepted.
With the new season all most upon us it’s vital that we sign a centre forward, especially with Oh moving to Genk.
We have been credited with interest in strikers such as Danish striker Mathias Kvistgaarden and Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski, but neither will be signed for the £4.5m Celtic have apparently offered for Adam Idah.
A few others have also likely been placed on a wish list by Brendan Rodgers, so perhaps it’s time that we start to turn our attention towards new targets?
However Celtic could easily afford Adam Idah, or Mathias Kvistgaarden or Bojan Miovski and let’s be honest the Celtic support would like two from the three signed.
If we end up with none but a cheaper player from well down the list then the ‘adding quality’ aspiration of the manager will have been frustrated and so will the entire Celtic support.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Forget the Idah transfer for now and concentrate on another striker and if still needed try and sign Idah in January.
If we are, once again, a few hundred grand short of a compromise to fulfil the managers ambitions – hell call it a million which is at the far end of the gap between the clubs in Norwich’s favour – then it’s McGinn all over again. Maybe not the same league but its certainly the same issues (by the same person we all know who). For the sake of that type of gap we should be showing the type of mentality to back Rodgers the way that he deserves and the way that Idah warrants, and the way that the team needs. Everybody knows there “might” be other hidden gems to be had for bargain prices around Europe’s lower leagues, but it’s now the arse end of July and no magic alternatives apart from the obvious ones have appeared. If we’re serious about backing Brendan then we need back him absolutely right now and stop this pretend negotiating nonsense. Norwich aren’t exactly ripping the piss on the asking price.
Again I would still say that this is a call Rodgers will be making upon the time factor involved regarding the idah deal imo?
He has been around plenty enough to know all the games that go on within the transfer market?
So are all of the anti board brigade really digging out the board upon time factors, or Rodgers with his decision making process at present?
Would say the latter myself?
Also tends to have gone unnoticed but we possibly remain in a situation within our squad building process, where are second choice options for positions have cost ourselves more money than the 1st choice options, within our squad?
Very unusual for such a situation for any club to be operating within, but also brings its own problems also?
Even in the keeper position is getting 2 keepers for the same price of Hart, lowballing or a sensible approach taken in the planning process?
Only at RB have we paid more money for the player in AJ than ralston as the backup option?
Even a CCV and scales CB partnership cost less than a largerman and rocki additions, with Welsh as another alternative?
Even idah, will cost more than kyogo, yet does that mean he’s automatically going to be our 1st choice striker?
So how much money is expected to be paid upon player’s who aren’t going to be regarded as certain starters ahead of what we have in place already?
Course they will be written off as a waste of money very quickly also if they don’t make an immediate impact for ourselves?
Alternatively, wouldn’t the more expensive player automatically be expected to get the position?
So not as easy for Rodgers within the decision making process as way to many are trying to make out either imo?
Even at LB, we know that a place is available within the squad?
Many like myself would be looking for a stronger opinion available to ourselves than Taylor imo?
Yet does that mean that we have to potentially write off Anderson or Monty altogether?
Could Tierney be a potential loan option to ourselves, but what is his injury status at present?
So at present, I place my trust moreso in Rodgers decision making process at present, especially as he’s no stranger to knowing what is involved behind the scenes?
Nothing to suggest as of yet, that he isn’t going to be backed by the board over this window either imo, regardless of the current time frustrations?
We ended last season on a winning run, unmatched by anything within the SPFL?
Yet we still remain as the most settled squad in operation and everyone within the SPFL trying to figure out there own squads at present, and how the team will line out?
For ourselves, we are still trying to fill positions for forming a CL squad?
Totally different process involved altogether, especially when squad unity has to be kept intact also for ourselves?
Our current squad is currently more than good enough for SPFL level, but someway to go before it can be regarded as a decent overall look about it for our CL campaign ambitions imo?
Idah is also a player now that doesn’t need the settling in period either, so would say that we could be looking at potentially another week before final decisions are going to be made upon Idah and the time factors currently in operation imo?
prudent peter,,del boy des..are holding the club back ,,just be slightly better than rangers is there mantra….what do the other members of the board bring to the table ??? hee haw..
Time to move on and forget Idah ,we should be looking at a striker or two with proven goal scoring record in European competitions,which idah has not.Norwichs valuation of him is obscene,he was nowhere near their first team before we took him on loan.