FORMER Celtic goal hero Frank McAvennie reckons Brendan Rodgers will be “going off his head” at the lack of transfer activity at the champions.
The Hoops have signed just one player – £3million winger Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna – in this window with the deadline due at 11.30pm on Thursday.
It has been strangely quiet on the signing front although there are still reports that the club hope to bring in two new recruits, with left-back and striker the targeted areas.
MIGHTY MACCA…Celtic goal hero Frank McAvennie acknowledges the fans in his Hoops hey-day.
Macca, who was signed by his boyhood favourites TWICE – once by Billy McNeill in 1987 and then by Liam Brady in 1993 – fears a backfire if the Parkhead side do not strengthen the squad within the next couple of days.
The one-time fans’ favourite, now 64, said: “Brendan will be going off his head if no-one else comes in. Surely they can’t be leaving their business this late just to save money?
“It’s already obvious there’s too much deadwood in the current squad and that, in terms of quality, there are parts of the starting eleven that are threadbare. What makes it worse is they announced in last year’s reports they had £72million sitting in the bank.
“On top of that, there was the Champions League money from this season, so there’s plenty of cash there. Why aren’t they spending it?
“If Rangers can overtake them to win the title then they’ll collect the money of offer for competing in next season’s new-look Champions League and that will wipe out Celtic’s financial advantage over them.
CENTENARY CHEERS…Frank McAvennie and Roy Aitken flank Billy McNeill after the 1988 Scottish Cup Final success over Dundee United at Hampden to seal the double.
“They don’t have anything like as much money as Celtic, but they push the boat out for their managers. They’re really going for that money – aren’t Celtic taking the threat from them seriously?
“If Celtic blow this title, it’ll be worse than failing to win it in the 10-in-a-row season and the fans will never forgive the board for not providing Brendan with the tools he needs.”
McAvennie, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “There have probably been moves made for players on the quiet that haven’t come off because the player didn’t fancy it or the club wanted ridiculous money. That happens.
“But Brendan’s a professional and he’d have had a list of second and third choices for every position he felt he needed to bring in, so there’s no excuse for the lack of activity.
“Brendan is crying out for new signings. He said when he arrived in the summer that he hoped to get pace and power before that window closed. He didn’t get either of them.
SHOUT-OUT…Brendan Rodgers is crying out for new players.
“He spoke before Christmas about the need to sign players because we’d be losing four or five to the Asian Cup and that hasn’t happened.”
The former Scotland international frontman added: “Brendan’s reputation is on the line here and he can’t be happy that anyone else who does come in will be a last-minute job and will take a while to settle in whereas if deals had been done three weeks ago then that wouldn’t be an issue now.
“What he needs are two £5million signings who are the finished article. If that doesn’t happen then he – and the fans – will be furious.”
McAvennie was part of the club’s league and Cup-winning centenary squad after club legend McNeill shelled out a-then club record of £750,000 to lure him from West Ham in October 1987.
He returned to the Hammers before making his way back to Parkhead in January 1993 when Brady was searching for more firepower for his team.
