At the beginning of the transfer window I predicted Adam Idah would not leave Norwich City until late August, if at all. His transformational loan period at Celtic went a long way towards ensuring we won the league and Scottish Cup, but he remained backup to Kyogo and there is no immediate prospect of that changing, even if he arrives this summer.
Norwich have watched the player’s success at Celtic and have set thier price accordingly. Forget the £6m being reported this week, City’s asking price is nearly twice that figure. That’s a lot for someone who will spend much of his time on the Celtic bench.
Celtic paid £9m for Odsonne Edouard, also as a backup striker, six years ago, but that was under Peter Lawwell, who fulfilled his commitment to spend every penny that came in over any business cycle you care to mention.
Odsonne’s profile was different. A PSG youth, Celtic correctly anticipated his value would appreciate. Adam is three years older than Odsonne, when the French striker signed his permanent Celtic deal, and Adam’s tenure on the bench at Championship grounds will likely put a ceiling on where his value goes.
Adam crossed a line on Sunday and missed his club’s flight for thier preseason tour in Austria (he travelled later on his own). This move is normally terminal for your relationship with fans. The scenario occurs at Celtic more often than is reported, Celtic’s preferred reaction is to decline the move and not report “Not in the right frame of mind to play, boss” incidents, in an attempt to keep control of their options. Not every muscle strain is actually a muscle strain.
Norwich were unable to do this and Adam is now regarded as an enemy within by the support. Adam will likely get his move this month and if he comes to Celtic you and I will cheer him on. Football is a harsh business, we are all participants.
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Someone ask Jobo how many sleeps until the world famous Glasgow Celtic have their flag day.
Aside… I don’t know if it’s just me, my phone, my version of Android or what, but it’s now virtually impossible to access CQN on the mobile phone. I get a double whammy of Notifications request and Cookies settings that can’t be passed through.
Dexter P Bampot
Henrik Larsson was possibly the worst signing for the PLC! Such a bargain they spend their lives subsequently trying to unearth a gem like him.
it wasn’t just Henrik. We picked up Lubo, Dembele, and Matt O’ Riley for bargain prices.
In contrast we got quality out of big money buys like Sutton, Lennon and Hartson.
We can point to numerous buys in the 500k to £2m mark that were failures for us AND
we can point to plenty in the £3m- £5m+ range who also failed- Abet, Barkas, Scheidt & Boerigter.
Of course a bigger spend generally gets you better players but bigger transfer fees often require bigger wages too so you have to be smart, and it’s that definition of smart that divides us. You need a team of big buys, moderate buys and bargain buys- all teams need their equivalent of Scales and Taylor etc; Water carriers for your stars. If I thought that buying Dara O’Shea was a definite upgrade on Scales, I think it should be sanctioned but I’m not sure it is “guaranteed” to be. What matters more than my opinion, is that Brendan wants him. But even Brendan will have a ceiling on what he’s worth and what he’ll bid- same with Idah. He might be willing to sanction say £6m tops for O’Shea and £5m tops for Idah but, if it goes above that price – it’s too rich for what he’s worth to us.
PLC are a joke- they are damaging club’s reputation. If you are Benfica or the like, would you do a loan with option to buy at certain price but then Celtic seek to renegotiate price even when player has done well??
It’s done a lot more often than you think. We do it to other clubs and they do it to us. We get the Scottish cringe when we think we’re too cheap to compete. But we don’t go calling out all the clubs who take our players on loans to buy but then try to get the player at a cheaper price. It really is quite common and it seems to have worked with Benfica this time. My simple view is we got Jota for £6m and that was a bargain Benfica regretted making. We get Paolo Bernardo for less than £6m and Benfica will share the risk with us that he will fetch more than what we paid on his next transfer which they will have a percentage of.
I think Paolo is a very decent player but he’s not Jota level and the price should reflect that. I doubt we’ll ever get half of the £25m we got for Jota.
Paul
Where is the evidence Norwich are looking £12m or more for Idah?
Highest figure I’ve seen is in the DR (whose accuracy I question) and even they say £8m
If it is indeed £12m plus then we have a problem 😉
Lawell fulfilling is commitment is another matter altogether 😉
This is an attempt to outline the upcoming Champions League draw
https://x.com/scotlandscoeff1/status/1818589939367297290?s=46
His suns in my eyes 🤩
I simply cannot accept that in todays market-and more importantly given his performances- it isn’t a given amongst all of us that £6m for Idah is a fair price and also that it isn’t a big risk given that he has passed his probation with flying colours
BURNLEY78 @11:20 AM,
“We need to keep the steady course and get even better at doing what we already are good at. Evolution in leadership from PL to the current team is good. If Brendan was fully engaged and ‘all in’ as Phillipe apparently is then even better.
Peter Lawwell took leadership of Celtic PLC in 2004, we were in a totally different climate.
The Board at that time thought that a financial controller with a firm hand on the tiller was the way to go…
Some agreed, some didn’t
Since then the strategy has shown it’s strengths and weaknesses.
We need a very new approach twenty years on and the unambitious, unimaginative and staid Board needs a heck of a good shake up.
If you look how Brendan Rodgers approach to leadership had Celtic being the toast of America, we can see the way forward.
Phillipe buying into the Ibrox ethos is all very good, if you are a Rangers or old firm fan.
I’m neither so I want to buy into the Brendan Rodgers ethos for Celtic and forget about the Rangerses
Brendan is Celtic’s future…
Upwards&OnwardsCSC
Hail Hail
DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 31ST JULY 2024 12:09 PM
Look around the internet. Rumours are they doubled the asking price.
A proper 2-3 month preparation with players in place surely would give us a materially better chance in first series of CL games?? We never have that.
CELTIC40ME on 31ST JULY 2024 12:13 PM
DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 31ST JULY 2024 12:09 PM
Look around the internet. Rumours are they doubled the asking price.
————-
Rumours are that the 2012 club from Govan are the same as the former team- however they are nonsense.
It’s just I haven’t seen £12m suggested by any reputable journalist or publication as opposed to keyboard rumours
CHAIRBHOY on 31ST JULY 2024 12:13 PM
Doesn’t your new approach involve appointing a banker to draw up a strategy?
In 2004 Brian Quinn was booed by the fans for his conservative approach to spending and debt. Peter Lawwell (a “star” and his best appointment according to BQ when he left in 2007) continued that strategy.
Isn’t there a contradiction in there?
DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 31ST JULY 2024 12:17 PM
I saw it on Kerrydalestreet. It seemed fairly credible, especially given what’s happened since.
DEXTER P. BAMPOT
By your thinking we should pay every club what they want because we have lots of spare cash.
But if we had paid every club what they want on every deal we do, and paid every player the wages they wanted to come, without negotiating, then we wouldn’t have the spare cash now to pay every club and every player what they want.
Isn’t that right?
Perhaps a bit unfair to frame Idah’s transfer worth as that of a backup player . Yes Kyogo will start more often than not but Idah (if he comes) will surely get many more minutes , especially if his upward progress continues under Brendan . I would class the likes of Welsh , Ralston and Yang as true ‘backup’ players .
Chairbhoy
I have no idea who you support and frankly I don’t care.
Brendan being toast of America is simply hilarious. I am not sure it was even noticed by 99.9999% of the population who do follow soccer never mind in general.
We won pre season games v teams who were 2 weeks behind us in their programmes and missing some key personnel.
Perhaps if Brendan does step up and deliver what WGS did whilst we were ‘rightsizing’ then he really will be the toast of Celtic. 2 last 16s in CL beating top tier clubs to get there. That would work for me.
Despite their troubles whatever rangers form exists will always be relevant to us. Only a really stupid person would not see that imo.
Glendalytonsils
Agree re Idah.
He has potential to be more than back up in Scotland. Much more imo. He is an option as lead striker imo. Much as I love Kyogo and what he brings.
CELTIC40ME @ 12:19 PM,
No, there’s no contradiction there.
Celtic FC had been funded under Martin O’Neil to ensure when the old firm invite for the EPL came they were ready to sieze the bull by the horns.
Of course the OF missed out on the EPL and the level of funding was not sustainable.
Now there are many ways and many opportunities Celtic PLC could have explored to increase revenues grow the business
However the PLC stayed safe, they looked at the domestic old firm model and went with that…
You can argue whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s history so why waste your breath…
Today our old firm partner is a basket case, and the the bigotry and toxicity that goes along with the brand made Celtic drop the phrase some time ago – although it has still stuck to the same business plan
The UCL and the evolving game in Europe and globally has to be where Celtic’s future lies.
Let’s aim for teir 3 UCL status and take it from there…
Hail Hail
CELTIC40ME on 31ST JULY 2024 12:28 PM
DEXTER P. BAMPOT
By your thinking we should pay every club what they want because we have lots of spare cash.
But if we had paid every club what they want on every deal we do, and paid every player the wages they wanted to come, without negotiating, then we wouldn’t have the spare cash now to pay every club and every player what they want.
Isn’t that right?
——-
Not sure Celtic40 if you read all of my posts-
I said that I was not advocating reckless spending
I said that on the basis of what I’ve seen £6m is a fair price for Idah
I said the model of squeezing every penny has the downside of lost opportunity for team progress
I don’t think I need to say that I would not advocate paying selling clubs what they ask in every (or even majority of cases).
I don’t think we should pay £12m for Idah either.
I think I was clear in my view that we should pay £6m for Idah. In my opinion that would get it done.
BURNLEY78 @ 12:38 PM,
Your world view is very different from mine, your old firm mindedness in a million miles to where I’m at.
Don’t care about Phillipe don’t care about Rangers…
You have no idea what sort of reputation Brendan Rodgers has, he has a great CV and is very, very good at his job
His face doesn’t fit with your mates on the Board so be it, I’d suggest it’s they who should move on and allow Celtic to embrace the future
Hail Hail
DEXTER P. BAMPOT on 31ST JULY 2024 12:41 PM
You said 6m was the asking price, you said we should pay it without negotiating it down.
Pay the asking price every deal you do and you end up with a lot more money than if you don’t
CHAIRBHOY on 31ST JULY 2024 12:40 PM
“No, there’s no contradiction there.”
You’ve answered a different question to prove there’s no contradiction.
Here’s a contradiction
“Evolution in leadership from PL to the current team is good. If Brendan was fully engaged and ‘all in’ as Phillipe apparently is then even better.
Peter Lawwell took leadership of Celtic PLC in 2004, we were in a totally different climate.
Then:
“You can argue whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s history so why waste your breath…”
If Norwich were looking for anything near £12 million, we should have told them to sober up,and walked away. We must have more players in mind.
Celtic paid £9m for Odsonne Edouard, also as a backup striker, six years ago, but that was under Peter Lawwell, who fulfilled his commitment to spend every penny that came in over any business cycle you care to mention.
SORRY ITS CRYPTO ONLY MATE hope this gets me a red card.
CHAIRBHOY
I don’t think I’ve read anyone reference events twenty years ago as much as you so I’d question why you’re now saying that:
“You can argue whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s history so why waste your breath…”
It’s time this club had a proper Director of Football, to control transfers,squad succession,the Academy, we have rank amateurs in charge in McKay and Nicholson, it’s obvious to see that.
Lawwell painted as the good guy, not for the first time, he’s not gone away despite having a postion which exerts no influence in the running of the club.12m is too much for Idah ,we must have other options or someone is not doing their job, however Eduard cost 9m plus inflation since then so we can afford it, anyway if we do sign him it will leak out and a generally figure will appear in the accounts. Hope we also have more than 1 option for Left back as Wolves don’t seem keen to do a deal.
general
Watching the league-winning game at Kilmarnock, I commented that Adam Ida was playing for a contract as he was so involved in the mid-field as well as the forward areas.
I was hoping that we would get Adam but, if his conduct to break the rules at Norwich to engineer a transfer to Celtic was deliberate, I now wonder how he would behave with us in 1 or 2 years time if he is still a back-up or wants away.
Character is the defining trait for me for any player and, right now until I got a good explanation of his conduct, I would turn my attention elsewhere.
CELTIC40ME @ 12:54 PM,
OK, let me try to unpack it for you…
History is good, the lessons of history vital
However if you look at a decision the Celtic Board made twenty years ago why argue the rights and wrongs, we have to go with the decisions that were made.
The coulda, would, shoulda arguments are a waste of breath.
Let’s look at what worked, let’s looked at what failed let’s look at what we could have done better then move forward.
Look at where we are at….
A tier 1 manager and staff in place getting the squad together for another season
Several projects on the go that will lift Celtic up to be a much better football Club
A totally revamped player development path looking to bring quality players to the first team.
All doable without mentioning or worrying about any club in Ibrox
Hail Hail
Bada
We are still principally a plc that operates a football club, would that trust exist between the suits and the track suits? Who would have the final say? Those that pay the bills I suppose.
Dexter P Bampot
“I simply cannot accept that in todays market-and more importantly given his performances- it isn’t a given amongst all of us that £6m for Idah is a fair price and also that it isn’t a big risk given that he has passed his probation with flying colours”
——————————-
Big Adam did a great job for us in his 6 month spell as back up striker and you are right, a regularly used back up striker would be worth £6m spend. We had an even better one in Giakkoumakis but he’s moved on twice since we had him.
However Adam’s record with Norwich is not so impressive. At EPL level two seasons ago, he scored once in 17 league appearances, he then got 2 goals in 25 and 6 in 28 at Championship level. There is not much evidence there that he could be a reliable first choice striker as goalscoring is not his main strength. He lost his Norwich place to Josh Sargent who outscores him and since he went on loan, Ashley Barnes has been signed by them and young Jonathan Rowe scored 12 goals for them as a winger.
I genuinely feel that Norwich are playing hardball and using our fans impatience to pressure us into paying over the odds and they’re basing their valuation on Adam’s value to us and not on his value to them. There is not a queue of clubs competing with us for Adam’s service- we can afford to not fall for their first bluff and still land Adam for a price much lower than they are currently demanding.
It will be nice to see if he can keep up his immediate success as a battering ram alternative to Kyogo but, I think we need a goalscoring young 3rd striker too and the more we spend on Adam , the less we have for this task. I don’t see anyone in the reserves who is a natural scorer and it may be a year too soon for Johnny Kenny to be considered, if he can reach that level at all.
HRVATSKI JIM @ 1:01 PM,
Well Dembele did it a Celtic and the Board invited him back for a hero’s welcome…
Idah must be very frustrated being in the situation he’s in – give the guy a break.
Hail Hail
Once again, someone draws my attention to a series of posts which amount to personal attacks on me and nothing more. Personal attacks, from people who couldn’t pick me out in the street.
I’m through defending my opinions to the people on here. Stick to talking about golf and arguing with the right wing dickheads who proliferate this site. There are too many people on here who assign me nefarious motives and paint me as some sort of clown with intellectual pretensions whilst adopting a condescending patronising tone to anyone and everyone who disagrees with their view of Celtic.
People on here talk about having long memories. They aren’t the only ones. But I do this all day every day under my own name and there are archives of everything I’ve ever written where people are free to go for a trawl and to come back to me with the contradictions … I’m sure there are plenty of them, but they won’t and its got nothing to do with their being lazy it’s because they are presumptive and arrogant about their own views as expressed in the way they talk to everyone on here who doesn’t agree with their narrow point of view.
On Idah, my position has been clear; find out what Norwich wants. If it’s too rich, find out what wiggle room there is. If that’s too much walk away and pursue other targets. That’s it, simple, and we could have done that in the first week of the window. Nothing has changed between then and now.
I wrote a couple of months ago about people who suggested that we sign Bernardo and Idah for £6 million apiece to be careful what they wished for as we’d be spending £12 million, a big chunk of the transfer budget to stand still, to be no further forward than where we were last season. I am not against negotiating hard to get players for a premium … but if you negotiate a right-to-buy option in a deal at a certain price, at least be prepared for when the club asks you to meet that valuation. If you don’t have a right to buy option then perhaps it’s not crazy to suggest that you might find yourself in a situation where they want more than you are prepared to pay.
That’s where Plan B comes in, and if Norwich are asking too much we should have walked WEEKS AGO and brought closure to the whole matter for the good of all involved.
What bugs me most about the intolerance of certain people on here and their tendency to play the man and not the ball is that it stems from a smug attitude that they are better Celtic fans than those they criticise and that’s a hunnic attitude if you ask me, and one I would never dare presume.
In the end, people are entitled to believe what they want about me, that I’m some sort of self-absorbed twat just becasue I don’t appeal to the stupidest person in the room when I’m writing something … I think the Celtic online community is smarter than that. If I didn’t try the readers with that respect I wouldn’t have readers. But here’s the thing … it’s abundently clear that my frustrations are shared by the guy in the dugout, the guy who led us to the double last year and who has now won 9 trophies out of the 10 he’s competed for, and yeah I called that guy every name under the sun when he left, but that was about the timing of his departure and the manner of it rather than the fact of it ….
The fact of it, I understood quite well. The reasons for it I was 100% clear on. The summer transfer window that year was every bit as big a disgrace as this one has been so far and his frustration at it, when he had delivered two trebles in his frst two seasons, was very easy to understand.
People act as if we’re here by default. We’re not. We have money in the bank, we have a name which still rings out in the game, and we could be better than this.
We’re here because of choices we’ve made as a club, a strategy we have charted ourselves, we’re not victims of circumstances or geography; we’re in the slow lane by choice. We chose a transfer policy based on players under 23 earning pennies in provincial leagues and there is nothing inevitable about that, nothing that locks us into it other than our own decisions.
And I won’t apologise for wanting us to be better than that. We do have limits on what we can do, but we operate so restrictively even inside those limits that yes, there are other choices open to us which we choose not to take. I think the strategy is flawed. I want us to be all we can be.
Tha’ts the difference between me and the people here who have a trip-out every time they see my name. It’s a difference in philosphies; we’re all supposed to love this club. That some folk refuse to acknowledge that the rest of us do … that’s where I have a problem with them.
Idaho is not worth £12m . No other team would pay that for a Norwich Reserve. I think we will get him for a reasonable price at the end of the window as no other offer will come in.
Paul 67 points out that Peter Lawwell has no current involvement with transfers. I understand that he has little involvement with the club and only comes in for Board meetings. Brendan Rodgers is in charge of Recruitment and the 2 fellows who have left are now out of the picture having served their notice period.
Of course Brendan has a budget to operate to and he must have money left in his budget. I am sure Brendan wants as much bang for his buck as he can get.
With Euros and FFP then this is a strange transfer window with few deals everywhere.. I hope we will get 4 or 5 players in by the end of the month but no guarantees
FAVOURITE UNCLE , very funny. James Forrest, you came on here a few weeks ago and had a go at the host. I read your blog quite often, would you put up with the same on your blog? Honest question.
I knew this would happen as soon as I discovered there was no loan to buy option. So it looks like we’d have to probably match our transfer record to sign someone who’ll be on the bench for most games.
We can’t afford to wait until the end of August and we can’t afford to end the window with Kyogo as our only striker.
Time to move on.