It feels like a yearly occurrence. Celtic sign a player on-loan, they do really well, the fans fall in love and then clamour for their signature.
In recent history Celtic don’t tend to bring these players in permanently, whether that’s down the player’s wishes or Celtic’s finances. Patrick Roberts, Moi Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster are all recent enough examples.
This year we have two bhoys on-loan who have done very well in a Celtic shirt – Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers. The Jota deal could be more complex if his parent club Benfica want the winger to return but with CCV we know he has no future at Spurs and will likely leave the club on a permanent basis this summer.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
Celtic have held talks with Spurs over the permanent transfer of CCV. The bhoys have an option to buy, but it’s CeltsAreHere UNDERSTANDS those terms are just not in Celtic’s comfort zone. The deal for the defender was done so late in the day, there wasn’t any real chance to get into the minutia of the deal and really get something that looked palatable to Celtic. They wanted the defender in there and then and made the concession not to go gung-ho on the terms of any permanent deal.
The American international has suitors going into the summer window and won’t be shy of offers. If reports down south are accurate, the centre-back will be able to choose from quite a few Premier League clubs when the time comes.
How do Celtic compete with the mega-rich clubs after his signature. The key is Champions League Football. IF Celtic win the league, they will most likely go into the group stage of Europe’s elite competition. This is a massive incentive for players and something mid-table Premier League clubs can’t offer.
The lure of the Champions League would be enough for CCV to shun interest from elsewhere to sign on with Celtic. Above that, Celtic would then be working with a whole different budget given the money you get for simply qualifying for the the top tournament, and that’s before gate receipts and TV rights. Meaning they would have the funds to sign the defender.
Simply put, Celtic have the best chance of signing Cameron if they win the league and gain automatic Champions League entry. There are six games to go in the SPFL and the bhoys are six points clear. It’s not a given we will win the league – but we’re in a good position at the moment.
It could be a big summer for the club.
