Over the last few days of the European transfer window I was keen to find out what business Ajax would be able to complete (what Milan and Barca did is of scant interest). Between Friday and yesterday Ajax lost two players, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen moved to Tottenham, and yesterday, Belgian defender, Toby Alderweireld joined Atletico Madrid.
Both were big players for the Dutch champions, who could realise €20m from the sales, but attempts to sign Ola John from Benfica and Eljero lia of Werder Bremen failed, instead they paid Heracles Almelo €2.5m for midfielder Lerin Duarte.
The Amsterdamers had a frustrating final few hours of the window. No doubt potential targets were worried about having to face three huge teams in the Champions League. In a difficult group, this is what counts as a break for Celtic. Only five games into their league season and without Champions League qualifiers to use as a yardstick, the group stage will come early for Ajax.
Living adjacent to an over-monied behemoth has considerable drawbacks as even our top clubs struggle to retain teenagers in the face of English lower league competition but such a rich market can also bring enough transfer income to make the difference between feast and famine.
The English Premier League spent £445m on transfers outside England but apart from Celtic and Hamilton Accies, who between them will earn around 4% of that total, I don’t think anyone else in Scotland got a piece of the action.
Nurturing and selling talent to England has to be a strategy for dozens of clubs here. Paying (for them) top wages to players who are no longer able to gain employment in England can only be considered a waste by comparison.
[calameo code=0003901713852289beccb lang=en page=92 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
742 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
TSOAL.
Naw just private deliveries.
up_over_goal:
How harshly, or even appropriately, were the Rangers ever dealt with?
Edinburgh is an amazing city, with a great quality of life. I always felt that it missed one thing though – one special ingredient that would make it the perfect place to live: Celtic.
LUXCELT
Edinburgh?
Needs a population transplant.
celtic *o* lennon
11:33 on
4 September, 2013
Is Ibrox not getting used for rugby or some such.
luxcelt
12:06 on 4 September, 2013
Edinburgh is an amazing city, with a great quality of life.
Not so sure buddy. I’m here right now and have been waiting 10 mins to get served for a pint. Still, pleasant views of a castle. :-)
Mid week games at Murrayfield would be a bit of a headache for the Irish buses trying to make the midnight ferry.
A Stor Mo Chroi
How harshly, or even appropriately, were the Rangers ever dealt with?
They were given a one year transfer ban for non-payment of VAT and PAYE, fined, and dragged, kicking and spitting all the way, to the bottom of the league structure after being liquidated.
Supporters’ groups, as well as the chairmen of other Scottish clubs, had a part to play, but if you think that would have happened on Farry’s watch, you need to read more about his time in charge of Scottish football.
luxcelt:
It does enlightened juries too….
QUONNO
Was it ever used for much else?
They won’t bother even re-laying the pitch. It will suit their style.
Surprised they didnae ask for the show jumping as well,make a proper job of it.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS forza Oscar and Mackenzie
– > Well there are no red hand flags and union jack bunting flying from folks houses there – unlike in the Big Orange, but if you feel the local population doesn’t live up the standards of deepest Loyalist Ayrshire then I guess we’ll just have to differ. I know who I would rather live among………
;-)
up_over_goal :
The SFA were trying to get them straight back into the SPL. The SFA told you it was going to be Armageddon without them, compared to this mob, Farry was a runt of the litter.
A Stor Mo Chroi
– Point taken.
up_over_goal
12:14 on 4 September, 2013
‘dragged, kicking and spitting all the way, to the bottom of the league structure after being liquidated.’
###
No, you’ve got that wrong.
A new club was allowed access to the Scottish league notwithstanding they didn’t meet the entry requirements.
NATKNOW
Yer probably in a Wine Bar,old bean…
Try asking in an Anglicised accent.
Then pay with a credit card.
Somehow managed to stray onto a Gaelic for beginners on BBC Iplayer- the city of Dunedin in New Zealand is named after the Gaelic for Edinburgh- Dun Eideann.
UselessEmbraInfoCSC
LUXCELT
Touché!!!!!
Cap doffed for that one,bud…
new article posted.
Dentist told me last week”your teeth are fine but your gums will need to come out”
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers forza oscar and mackenzie
12:18 on 4 September, 2013
NATKNOW
Yer probably in a Wine Bar,old bean…
Try asking in an Anglicised accent.
Then pay with a credit card.
Bobby, am ur in a wine bar. It’s a pint of wine I’m waiting on.