ANGE POSTECOGLOU is not anticipating working overtime in the transfer market this summer.
The Greek-Australian took over as Neil Lennon’s long-term successor in June last year and had to pick up the pieces of the carnage of the previous campaign in which Celtic had nothing to show for their efforts for the first time in 11 years.
It was a remarkable fall from grace following the phenomenal success of the quadruple treble and drastic action was required.
Postecoglou arrived at the same time key players such as Scott Brown, Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer, Ryan Christie and Olivier Ntcham were heading for the exit in a mass exodus.
DEADLINE DAY DEAL…Cameron Carter-Vickers only had minutes to spare after agreeing a season-long loan switch.
Youngsters Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, signed from Sheffield Wednesday, had already agreed switches to Glasgow, but the new gaffer had to bring in TEN recruits – with Cameron Carter-Vickers joining on loan from Spurs just minutes before the August deadline – as he reshaped his squad.
Players such as Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi, Swedish centre-back Carl Starfelt, Croatia right-back Josip Juranovic, Israel international winger Liel Abada, Greek hitman Giorgos Giakoumakis and exciting Portuguese raider Filipe Jota were all introduced to the Parkhead fans following a whirlwind of activity on the transfer front.
And Postecoglou dipped into his second window at the turn of the year with the same verve and vigour in snapping up J-League trio Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi as well as MK Dons’ cultured midfielder Matt O’Riley and highly-rated Irish teen forward Johnny Kenny, who is seen as one for the future.
With the Premier Sports League Cup already in the trophy cabinet and the team sitting a point ahead at the Premiership pinnacle with 12 league games to go, the manager has every right to believe he can enjoy a rest at the end of an intriguing and enthralling introduction to Celtic.
BRRRRRRILIANT…Ange Postecoglou in the midst of his first Scottish winter in charge of Celtic.
Postecoglou, who is preparing his team for this afternoon’s Scottish Cup last-16 encounter against Raith Rovers at Parkhead, smiled and told the Daily Record: “I’m hoping to be sitting beside a beach doing nothing this summer having worked it all out.
“There are always challenges. Sometimes the more success you have, you may have more players leaving. You just don’t know.
“But I definitely know that it won’t be as significant or as big a rebuild as we had to go through in the past two windows.
“We will obviously always try to improve the squad, but, more importantly, we will try and replace quality players if they leave.”
Postecoglou’s two main targets will be Carter-Vickers and Jota as he attempts to make sure they agree permanent moves at the club.
The London defender is valued at £6million and the goalscoring flanker, with 10 strikes this season, is rated at £6.5million by Benfica.
A total of £12.5million in transfer fees will not be outwith the scope of a team that have just announced a £27.6million profit in their interim report for the first half of the season.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Raith Rovers this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
