For a brief moment last night Celtic fans could breath easy for just a little while after watching the team comfortably make their way into the Europa League group stage.
This was followed up by a Brendan Rodgers admission that Celtic had REJECTED a ‘significant’ bid for Moussa Dembele with the Irishman speaking candidly he told the press Moussa would be going nowhere.
In that same press conference, Rodgers confirmed Celtic were close to signing Youssouf Mulumbu on a free and longtime target and most importantly centre back Filip Benkovic on a season-long loan.
Celtic fans were quietly satisfied.
Enter Moussa Dembele…
The French striker threw a grenade in the still water at midnight last night when he sent out a tweet that was perhaps a little cryptic and could have been taken two ways.
‘A man keeps his word’ – did this mean Dembele was happy to stay and be a man of his word with his contract. No, of course it didn’t – it was a shot at Brendan Rodgers for not wanting to sell him to Lyon, not because the Irishman wants to hold Moussa hostage BUT because there’s no time to get a replacement.
This didn’t sit well with Dembele who went on a destructive passive-aggressive mission to upset the fans, the manager and the club.
Calling for Celtic fans to be careful who they call their leader and then liking a host of tweets backing him up for a move away and how he called out Rodgers.
As I write his actions down – I can’t help but think…F*** you.
The player talks about the crest but perpetrating such evident and unsettling behaviour right before a critical Glasgow Derby game smacks of self-interest disguised as love for the club.
Whatever the club decides to do with Moussa in the interim is up to them.
As for Benkovic, he’s a lad Celtic have followed for quite some time and while we were priced out of a move before by Zagreb – to get him in for a season is good business.
It gives Celtic some breathing space and a whole year to find a suitable permanent replacement.
The Youssouf deal is what it is. It won’t set the world alight but he was genuinely one of the best midfielders in the SPFL last term, and if he can replicate that form then it will prove to be an astute acquisition.
Never a dull moment at Celtic these days. The window closes this evening and not a minute too soon – time to focus up on football!
Agree,this has been a ‘traumatic ‘window never known one like it,the quicker it close the better, if dembele wants to go ,fine, let’s move on, we still have quality here,I don’t want to see a player who is disgruntled,still here,he would be keeping others from braking through, as he would be first pick probably .
“It gives Celtic some breathing space and a whole year to find a suitable permanent replacement.”
4 years that defence has been fu cking shite.