Celtic's 2025/26 Summer transfer window: Stage: Panic

Given the value of the players linked to date it is backing up my theory we are back in the £4m and below bracket for signings. Let's be honest if it turns out that way this summer we really can't blame thr board. We clearly overpaid for Idah, Engles and Trusty

 

Agree regarding Engels.. more stick than deserved and will kick on in time

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Agreed. It's * boring reading the same comment every week that we'll never splash the cash because we spent a bit extra on Idah and Engels (who both had decent seasons if you don't account for the pricetag).

Spent £4m on Barkas, £5m on Simunovic and £4m on Ajeti - did that mean we never spent those fees on other players after that?

People can critique our transfer business and our board but the bed wetting and panic this early in the window is childish.

 

Lads this is just auld @Blochairnbhoy having his normal pre season hissy fit


Boys probably raging he’s been banned from going to Benidorm again

 

Its usually net expenditure that determines what we are prepared to outlay on players i think - rather than viewing it as we spent 9M on such and such and it wasnt value for money. If we dont sell anyone significant for big money, we may well not spend on a 9M/10M pound player this year to keep the player trading books in the green. If we do make a big sale then I think we will be prepared to pay the bigger fees.

 

We’re in a bit of a catch 22 situation at the moment.

The board don’t fully trust Brendan’s eye for a player (which isn’t unfair) and are reluctant to fully back him financially in the transfer market when he’s not committed to staying beyond this season. Whilst Brendan may well not want to commit fully beyond this season because he feels like he’s not being fully backed in the transfer market.

If only we’d hurry up and modernise the setup of the club, we wouldn’t be so reliant on a manager in the transfer market and for continuity.

 

I think we will just not commit to a big expenditure without first securing a big sale. I think that would be the boards approach regardless of the manager in the dugout.

 

Kinda goes against getting KT signed up on a longterm contract which makes him one of the highest paid

 

Idah 100% and it was entirely our fault .

Engels you say we overpaid but we would make a profit if we sold him tomorrow and he had some very good performances. A good preseason and sure will see him kick on.

Trusty we only paid 6mil which ain't much these days. Again, he had some nice performances and was caught out in the more physical games. Something that hopefully he can adapt to.

 

We may not need to sell from a financial perspective.

But thats the model the board have determined and I think they stick to that. They want to see an annual surplus on player trading as part of their core strategy for keeping the club financially healthy.

It would surprise me if they sanction expenditure of 8M/9M/10M on a single player without having first made a substantial sale.

I dont think its anything to do with not trusting the managers judgement on a player. Its just the business model they operate.

 

Wonder if there's lots of players waiting till July, getting end of season bonuses etc. There's not been many deals yet across Europe

 

Think you're spot on here and to be honest the club are well within their rights to operate this way. Justified even.

It's been in play for 20 years now, I remember chat about the strategy of becoming entirely self sufficient and we have absolutely nailed it.

No doubt there have been mistakes and bad decisions along the way, but we're in a fantastic position now so fair play for having that vision and following it through.

Also, just because we're cash rich doesn't mean we should now just abandon the model and start being reckless. Don't think anyone is suggesting that tbh, but anyone who has a problem with us aiming for a trading surplus every year is not seeing the bigger picture.

As long as we keep trying to grow and improve as a club I can forgive them making an * of it sometimes. Reality is we're run very well and will continue to be for the foreseeable with the current model.

 

The higher-fee ins and outs are generally gonna be done later in the window, that's just common sense. Guys in demand with options on the table will be advised to hang off to see how things play out.

Obviously there will be exceptions and I hope Kühn is one this time round, but whatever figure is in the bank makes zero difference...the model is the model. Any significant outlay will be done after we've secured an even bigger incoming fee. And rightly so.

 

Generally players will often wait to see if a better offer/bigger wage is maybe going to come along later in the window and not commit too early. Same for selling clubs who may wait to see if a bigger transfer offer comes in for a player . Easy for Real Madrid and Liverpool to sign players on 70 -90m pound contracts in early June when they are the biggest tickets in town. Any "blue chip" type signings for us may be a bit more delayed for reasons mentioned. It's the reason why an extremely large amount of deals are done in the last day(s) of the window.

 

https://open.substack.com/pub/celts...k-hendry-celtic-ready?r=531g19&utm_medium=ios



In terms of value for money, it's difficult to remember a better period for the club. Kieran Tierney, by all rights is still a £20million plus player and he re-joined Celts on a free.
Callum Osmand is a striker with a big future ahead of him and Brendan Rodgers' side have snapped him up on cross-border compensation.
Benji Nygren will arrive before the beginning of the new campaign as a £1.7m signing who, at just 23, is a fully fledged Sweden international who has been chased by clubs in bigger leagues than the Scottish Premiership.
Take into account the fact that there's still plenty of cash in the bank from the Matt O'Riley sale last season and the frugal nature of Celtic's history in the transfer market looks to be the smart play after all.
We understand at CeltsAreHere that Celtic are not afraid to spend money this summer again. The likelihood, in fact, is that at least one big outlay will come for Rodgers as the Scottish champions prepare for a Champions League qualifier. The manager will demand it.




The fear among the support has always seemingly been regarding Celtic's penchant to focus only on project players not quite ready to make the first-team better now.
But Osmand - probably signed to be the number three striker ahead of loan exit-bound Johnny Kenny - aside, this season should herald a new mindset at Parkhead.
The future of the club and selling players must always be at the back of the minds of the bean-counters, sure. But Nygren will improve the team right now. As will KT.
The Hoops will also earn dosh on their outgoing flops and that money will be there to strengthen.

 

With Financial Sustainability Regulations capping spending on transfers, wages, agents fees etc at 70% of turnover from this season on I can absolutely see us waiting until we have either sold someone or qualified for the CL before we make any significant moves this window.