Based on indications set down in January, Celtic expected the fee asked for Adam Idah to rise to £6m. When the clubs started discussions this close season, Norwich actually asked £10m plus add-ons. We are all entitled to a view on whether Adam is good or poor value at that level, but a £10m+ budget opens the door to many more options across the globe.
For that money, you could have practically any striker in the lower leagues in Germany, Spain and Italy, many in the top flights in those countries, and all but a few in the English lower leagues, where Adam currently plies his trade. That fee changes the consideration from what is Adam’s value, to a comparison with at least a dozen options elsewhere. Norwich and Celtic were both entitled to hold tight for a while.
We have not gone near a fee like that since our old pal Peter was in charge and he authorised a £9m spend (also plus add-ons) for Odsonne Edouard six years ago. Curiously, that transaction was also for a backup striker. The unexpected departure of Moussa Dembele a few weeks later elevated Odsonne ahead of schedule. I expect Michael Nicholson will be keen to authorise a big ticket spend on his watch.
Indications last night suggest the clubs are sitting around the Zoom table and a deal is close. Norwich can still sit tight for three weeks; Celtic will need a convincing alternate deal to conclude earlier. As always, try to block out the bed wetters [I never know if they prefer their status to be hyphenated; is it bed-wetters? It always feels awkward to ask them, that anxiety trigger seems so delicate.].
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Happy Friday one and all.
Nike Friday not looking too likely. Oh well.
Callum McGregor retires from Scotland, great news
Just when I thought I was going to get first. Do you have an alarm set Aipple😂😂👍
Stoke City have scheduled a medical this afternoon for Bosun Lawal. It’s expected that he’ll complete the switch over the weekend in a £2M move which could eventually reach around £3M w/ add ons.
The huns can’t get that money for a first team player..
Good afternoon all from the Brazen Head.
I’d expect Jamsie and Greg to follow Callums lead if Clark remains in post.
boondock saint re: alarm
On the old iPhone this morning. Article tends to appear as I am having my morning coffee.
Paul 67 et al,
We sold Oh for £4 m and potentially Boson Lawal for £3.
We offer Norwich £4 m for Idah. I know that is an initial offer but if the circumstances were reversed i would regard that as an insulting offer.
No wonder negotiations are so drawn out.
With the exception of the Ange signings every transfer we make seems to turn into an epic.
HH.
Reality Friday, Paul. I would like to have seen what Lawal could have done for us, but I suppose we already have enough midfielders to polish up, awaiting their chance.
Good news about Calmac. What he has left, he wants to give to us. I have a good feeling about this season.
Lawwell and co, millions in the bank, haggle haggle haggle…..
GP- We got £4.3 million for Oh….
Good news story and he has to stick a dig at fellow fans at the end.
That’s what you’ve come to fella.
You must be proud.
Reasonably confident, listening to the rumblings, that we will get Adam on board within the next week. He has a pre-season behind him and has played a part in warm-up games with Norwich; so should be ready to ‘hit the ground running’. Good to see that we are starting to move out those players that are surplus to requirements – we thank them for being Celts and wish them well.
With regard to the bed wetting situation Paul; until a new left-back and central defender are signed, it’s still a bit early to pack away those rubber sheets – which will of course be an essential requirement again for the January 2025 window.
These ‘money men’ are directors of a plc. It’s their responsibility to get the best deal they can for the club. That takes negotiation or ‘haggle haggle haggle’ as someone said. It’s business, when all is said and done.
My mattress is dry.
The fact that Idah still appears to be our only target suggests that, not only were we never prepared to go to that level of expenditure, but the in the area we’ve bid around we never had other targets.
To suggest that had we went to £10M we would have had better options is a moot point if we were never going to bid as high. You may as well say for £50M we could have had better options.
I look forward to Nicholson authorising “a big ticket spend” unfortunately it will likely be for a tear and share bag of Malteasers for the next home game.
Good afternoon from a sunny North Wales.
Stebhoy
To clarify our little wager – I’m not counting Idah as one of the 2 signings as he should be a given
So your odds have improved.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fd5%2F6b%2Fca%2Fd56bca19d16788b28ef197594da02b40.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=abad4b664e8cd7056aafb696c081cfc4e23428956e28b9a2c1256415ef4e8704&ipo=images
1987: A crowd of 43,000 attend Celtic Park for the Tommy Burns testimonial in which Liverpool defeat the Bhoys 1-0.
I always windered how should it be pronounced
Mall teasers
or
malt easers
and should it be hyphenated
more interesting that wet bedding over the transfers or not
Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks with Bournemouth about a £60m deal for striker Dominic Solanke.
SAINT STIVS on 9TH AUGUST 2024 12:47 PM
Of course other tear and share bags are available.
Just like forwards apparently.
James Forrest
If the cap fits sir.
Only you can determine yourself to be a bed wetter and therefore feel offended.
As you often seem to.
Some are more excrement-stirrers than bed-wetters.
Market forces will out. No-one’s paying £10M+ for Idah. £6M is his ceiling so Norwich will wait in vain for a higher offer. Good value for us too as he’s a brilliant fit with our club.
When Peter used to be in charge made me smile.
Mr Forrest at 12.27 is karrect.
Pretty unnecessary – and below you Paul – Ad Hominens attack – calling them bed-wetters – on fans legitimately concerned about our transfer business… see ‘As always, try to block out the bed wetters…’
You yourself Paul have exhibited distinct signs of mattress staining in several fraught attacks on Brendan insisting on the lead in transfer dealings that didn’t fastidiously adhere to the patchy player trading formula.
Brendan, remember, has brought us Adam on loan, Kuhn for Kristmas and a top billing keeper in Kacper.
No need to insult your fellow fans Paulo.
No bed wetting here. I never expect much to happen until partner club’s Champions League qualification effort is over.
Perhaps £10m would secure a better striker. However, 2 issues when it comes to Celtic and our transfer strategy
1. I doubt we have an appetite for a 10m player
2. It does not appear that we have any sort of scouting network. We are having enough problems signing those guys who still have a locker at Lennoxtown.
Not a great article. Critical of those who only want incremental improvements in out footballing operation. Poor show
GlassTwoThirdsFull on 9th August 2024 1:01 pm
100%. Our directors actions are defined by those of the Govan mob..
My doctor says bedwetter is also acceptable.
Callum is inly 31. he can play for another 6 years or so
Inoticed a trend last season to start faulting him. Utter tosh. Still a great player.
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2024/august/09/callum-mcgregor-retires-from-international-football/
The bed-wetting jibe was very wasp-ish but not W.A.S.P.-ish, I think.
Fans tend to take offence when their side of the argument gets the Mickey-taking response but we’ve had several repeats of Mikey-taking from the other side with jibes about Board-worship, Board Plants and Balance Sheet Worship.
For the most part, the Happy clapper community, have listened to and taken those attempts at humour without calling it out as inexcusable slagging of their fellow fans.
So, I have to ask – Is there a large crossover between the Snowflake Brigade and the Wet Bed Submariners. If so, could I advise that they don’t drink the yellow snow😀
If it helps avoid the hyphen issue, enuretics would be the medically correct term.
But that might be ripping the enuresis too much.
I for one am not aggrieved by Paul67’s unusual (for him) name calling. The amount of abuse he takes (and they are jumping in already) is disgraceful. If you don’ t agree with him, fine. No need to then insult him as some do whatever he writes.
I think we are being a wee bit harsh on Bosun Lawal. I feel the move to Stoke is a good move for Bosun and us.
I like the big fella who used his time on loan to reinvent himself from a CB to a RB and eventually a box-to-box scoring midfielder.
Unfortunately his athletic power runs through the midfield are not what our possession based football emphasises. His technique is not quite as strong as his athleticism and he doesn’t protect the ball enough, but he will have a good career elsewhere as he has shown mental strength to keep on improving year on year.
Good Luck Bosun
If anyone believes we were looking at other striking options as an alternative to Idah but a month later we came back to Idah, please ask P67 for my email, I’ve some magic beans you may be interested in purchasing.
“Where are you? Where are you?
“Lets be havin you!”
7 trophy wins in 3 seasons.
we have lost two meaningful game v 2nd rangers, both under ange, 3 seasons ago, an early season loss at ibrox and a scottish cup semi final.
if you believe celtic just do enough to stay ahead of rangers, and that our executives wait till they see what rangers are doing before they make decisions, well you are deluded.
celtic might lose a game to thems this season, but i expect us to still win the league regardless.
AN DÚN on 9TH AUGUST 2024 1:27 PM
I agree.
We mocked the SFA for having a worldwide recruitment for the Head of Referee’s only to find Willie Collum right under their noses.
Now I think of it, did Celtic not do the same with Nicholson?
Speculate to accumulate? Never the Celtic way.