MARTIN O’NEILL is convinced Brendan Rodgers and club supremo Dermot Desmond are singing from the same Celtic songbook.
And the legendary Hoops boss has admitted he would “be very surprised” if the current gaffer quit the champions.
There will be tales of friction between Rodgers and the board right up until the transfer window closes on September 1.
The fans have clamoured for marquee signings, but, although seven players have been introduced over the summer, there has been no cash splash by the Hoops hierarchy with versatile Swede Benjamin Nygren being the highest priced at a mere £1.7million.
HEADSCRATCHER…questions are being asked about Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers’ contractual intentions.
That, of course, is dwarfed by the £17.2million that was accepted from Serie A outfit Como for Nicolas Kuhn, scorer of 21 goals last season.
Even the reported £2million received from Portuguese top-flight club SC Braga for central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is more than the cash paid to Danish side Nordsjælland for Nygren.
O’Neill is aware how Irish double billionaire Desmond does business and insists he will not be browbeaten into paying exorbitant fees for individuals.
On deadline day last year, Rodgers spent £18million on three players – Arne Engels (£11m), Auston Trusty (£6m) and Luke McCowan (£1m) – plus Adam Idah had arrived a fortnight earlier in a deal that would rise to £9.5million with add-ons.
O’Neill is adamant that Desmond is as determined as his team boss to improve the squad with the Champions League play-off with either Kairat or Slovan Bratislava – with the Kazakhstanis 1-0 ahead after last night’s first leg – less than a fortnight away.
PRIZE GUY…Martin O’Neill holds aloft the Premiership silverware on his way to completing the treble in his debut season 2000/01.
Asked if he can assure supporters that Desmond will be setting his sights as high as Rodgers, the effervescent Irishman answered: “Absolutely, no question about it.
“Dermot will have a vision of the football club, but as a club owner or as a major shareholder and the person who’s making the decisions, he might see going forward in a different light than the manager.
“Seriously, he might not always think that spending £14million or £15million on a player is necessarily the way to go. And we’d have to say that in terms of the dealings in recent times, he might be right.
“Now, I don’t know what players Brendan’s looking for. He’ll be looking to improve the team. And I’m quite sure he’ll do that.”
THAT’S MY BHOY…Brendan Rodgers with Benjamin Nygren, Celtic’s top buy so far this summer at £1.7million.
On the question of Rodgers’ contract expiring at the end of the season, O’Neill, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “From the fans’ viewpoint, that’s something that they would probably like to know as there’s a bit of uncertainty around it.
“I don’t know Brendan’s situation in terms of I have not been speaking to him about that, it’s none of my business.
“But I do know the fellow he’s dealing with, and that would be Dermot. And I would think from a distance that Dermot would want Brendan to stay at the football club.”
O’Neill added: “Brendan had a good year last year – excellent getting through in the Champions League. I think he would want to try and push even further to try to make that second group stage.
“So, I can only imagine that there is a mutual understanding between the two of them.
“I would be very surprised if Brendan were to leave.”
