CELTIC’S STATEMENT to the stock exchange and their shareholders this morning was welcome news after tumultuous the tumultuous period of Brendan Rodgers hastily leaving his post to join Leicester.
While the news of Rodgers departure put a dip in the club’s share price, it did two things; it allowed a large investor group to up their stake in Celtic and it seems to be the catalyst for today’s release. The monetary gain from Brendan Rodgers leaving has significantly topped up the club’s coffers and not only that but Celtic are no longer paying his substantial wage either.
The statement read because of the ‘material compensation payment’ for the departure of Brendan Rodgers the club now looks to exceed market expectations for the year ending June 2019.
Great news if you’re a shareholder but what if you’re an average fan?
Celtic’s statement today puts a lot more pressure on them to go do good business in the summer. Not mediocre business and not a deal here or there but GOOD business as the club need to see the biggest overhaul of players in quite some time.
Loan deals expiring, contracts running out and players who are surplus to requirements will mean Celtic need to rebuild this summer and now there are no excuses.
The club hasn’t made note of the Virgil van Dijk cash they were due for the £75million deal which took the Dutchman from Southampton to Liverpool which is surely in the books as they look towards June 2019. The club did release a statement confirming Moussa Dembele’s large record-breaking fee of €22million to the stock exchange last year.
All this is starting to add up and after a January window where perhaps the money men saw the writing on the wall with regards to Brendan Rodgers, we are now in a position where penny-pinching is not an option.
The big problem Celtic now have is the expectations that come with the release of this recent statement. Too many times we have boasted about our financial position but did very little to flex our muscle. The argument would be breaking our transfer record for Odsonne Edouard but even that doesn’t seem as impressive when you realise Stuart Armstrong left for around £7million at the same time.
We are a club who are run well but we also need to see improvements. As it stands we need to announce a new full-time manager, a new head of recruitment if Lee Congerton does go and half a team which will leave in May.
But we’re exceeding market expectations so no excuses..eh.
