Olivier Ntcham, 21, yesterday became the third most expensive signing in Celtic history, the initial payment was slightly north of the £4.5m quoted, and there are add-ons which are likely to take the total price above that which was paid for Chris Sutton and John Hartson.
The most striking element of the deal is that the player has played only 39 games in senior football. Compare this to van Dijk and Wanyama, who had played over 60 games before coming to Celtic, and you get an idea of how the transfer market has changed in a few years.
60 games is now too late. You need to be on the ground watching and ready to move inside 40 games. More than this and top talent will likely already be competitively priced out of reach.
A consequence of this trend will be an increase in one element of the transfer risk: any scout would prefer to see more than 39 senior games before making a recommendation. But this risk is mitigated by the fact that waiting on a player to increase in value, only introduces the risks associated with paying a higher price.
Then there is the risk of doing nothing at all………
What we do know is that everyone at Celtic, the management, scouts and board, are happy to have secured Olivier’s signature.
Welcome to Celtic, Olivier.
You know when the PSNI say, “The only way you can have the game in Belfast that week is if it’s on Friday and there are no away supporters”. Then Linfield insist on having the home game first due to TV money. Then someone else at the PSNI says they did not block Celtic fans from attending?
Well, that just happened.
Here is the new CQN Podcast…
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DD
Coppers had been going into Tennants for a swift hauf for years, a tradition.
Not on my watch:)
Hee, Hee
TGM: ‘Sorry lads, not tonight’
Coppers: But, But, But, But
TGM: But nothing….Bye:)
HH
Happy Birthday to Oldtim, the CQN Blogfather.
Pubs on Byres Rd.
Rubaiyat ?
The Olde World aka the Byre. ?
TGM
Remember one night in Curlers, two cops came in to deal with a disturbance between Partick X and Maryhill Fleet lads. Both sides chased the terrified cops out and down Byres Rd. No re enforcements were called for. :)
Byres Rd was my playground:)
Crazy place, some wonderful characters.
And obviously ive been rubbing shoulders with loads of you guys, without knowing it:)
Crossed Paths.
HH
Wilson’s. Whistlers . The old snooker club.
Happy Birthday Old Tim have a great day. Hopefully see you soon.
Swansea knocking back £40m offers for players now. Jeez oh.
thetimreaper
Fair play to them with regard to Sigurdsson, he is a top quality player and they should demand top dollar. Quite how he ended up at Swansea is beyond me.
thetimreaper on 13th July 2017 1:01 pm
Man City gave him a 5 year deal then loaned him for 2 years. There is absolutely no chance that Genoa had an option for buy for £2m. That would make no sense whatsoever.
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Obviously unsure of the accuracy but…
http://www.mcfcwatch.com/2017/03/07/genoa-set-to-sign-manchester-city-midfielder-for-e3-million-after-upturn-in-form/
WDH…………………..
Bonhams…thats it.
Happy hunting ground. Ta.
All you Byres Road chaps and chapettes might enjoy reading, apart from the meaty language, Angus McAllisters ‘Close Quarters’.
DD
I was downstairs in the lounge, bell went, i was clearing up….place empty, its about half eleven.
Next minute three huns appear, still wearing the rags.
TGM: ‘We are shut’
Huns:, ‘we waaaaant a drink’
TGM: You wont be getting a drink in here.
I walk out from behind the bar, ive got my trusty brush:)
One makes a move, i clatter him with the brush….the other two heroes make a dash up the stairs.
as they get to the top of the stairs, im at the bottom….One shouts, ya fenian b, and does a side kick on the off sales window…..his leg goes right through it, window crashes, mangles his leg…..he drags himself out into the street, i run up the stair and brushed them severely.
30 seconds later, i hear sirens….Coppers pull up, and drag the huns into the van….bust right up and bleeding.
I still had time to lock up and make it into town:)
Voila!
HH
Wonder if any of our new bhoys will play tomorrow, if so who will be dropped?
You know when the PSNI say, “The only way you can have the game in Belfast that week is if it’s on Friday and there are no away supporters”. Then Linfield insist on having the home game first due to TV money. Then someone else at the PSNI says they did not block Celtic fans from attending?
Maybe I have not being paying attention. Was first game supposed to have been at CP>
Just spoke to Oldtim who forgot it was his birthday:-))
He is busy picking his horses but is available on his land line for calls
Auld bugger ☘️☘️
QUONNO on 13TH JULY 2017 1:40 PM
No, one option was to reverse the fixture with us taking the home leg first. They didnt want to as we will probably do a Shamrock on them at CP.
No offence to SR, we know it was your reserves.
Byres Rd eh ? Genteel side of Glasgow, you could almost imagine it in Edinburgh.
Dup going crazy because a designated fan zone has been made for Celtic fans tomorrow.Trying to get the order rescinded.taking legal advice.15,000 quid it is costing,and they are complaining at this”Waste of money.I could be put to better use”.Yes,probably could.They could invest in a few more fire hoses to help put out the blazing roofs on the houses set on fire every year by the flaming embers from their”Kulchural bonfires”
Inbred rednecks.
Anyway,just back from hospital.got savaged by a giant of a dog today,not mines,she was not there,for trying to throw it a loaf of bread.8 stitches in wound,various smaller injuries,4 Rabies and a Tetanus injections.Two more rabies to get this week.Mrs TB fainted when she saw the wound,right to the bone,just missing the Tendons.
Had a wee thought about getting the dog,sending it out on Easy Jet to Belfast for the 12th next year.Let it run riot.They would probably need to inject the dog.
Turkeybhoy
Ive had that experience, not nice.
Take it easy, get your feet up.
HH
Turkeybhoy
Ouch! Speedy healing mate!
TB was it pan or plain bread?
Just jokin, sounds a sore wan, yer right about the dug though. HH
Thanks lads.
My brother just sent me a few pics of his office in Belfast – all the double glazed windows cracked from the heat of the bonfires.
He tells me it isn’t all bad as there are only two of them in the office today…doing nothing…
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 13TH JULY 2017 1:48 PM
Byres Rd eh ? Genteel side of Glasgow, you could almost imagine it in Edinburgh.,
Yep,now full of Cambells,Frasers,Torquils,and Baxters.All forenames.
Turkeybhoy
Surely, surely you can get some super-strength painkillers in your locality?
HH
BANKIEBHOY1
You won’t believe this the first three years I was in London I worked in The French House:))
I must know you:))
SmallWorld CSC
Turkeybhoy
Yep,now full of Cambells,Frasers,Torquils,and Baxters.All forenames.
—————————————————————-
I’ve never heard of Frasers or Torquils Soups…
;)
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 13TH JULY 2017 2:12 PM
Turkeybhoy
Surely, surely you can get some super-strength painkillers in your locality?
Yep,Raki.
My wife was telling me that……
when her brother was training to…
be a priest at, Chester’s College…
my wife used to go into mass in the…
morning and, guess who was the only…
person in the chapel, all alone….
Clare Grogan.
Anyway,…..
Olivier – excellent, thank you Celtic.
If, SA leaves, thank him for all that…
he brought to the hoops..
but, bring in, John McGinn…
ye canny have enough tiger Tims…
in the team imho.
Oh and, BTW, a local journalist at…
Linfield who is a, life long Celtic supporter…
said that, we’ll probably find that, there are more…
Celtic supporters in the Linfield team than there are…
in Celtic’s team…..hmmmm !!!
My biggest fear is that, Broony will be targetted and,…
he’ll take us back to the Boyne !!!
Am a wee bit disappointed in ,Jeremy Corbyn….
I was searching though some stuff this morning and….
all my other heroes seemed to find their way onto the….
Orc bonfires but, as yet, no sign of Jeremy
Awfey strange….?
Anyway,……
…..off-oot.
DAVIDOPOULOS on 13TH JULY 2017 2:13 PM
Turkeybhoy
Yep,now full of Cambells,Frasers,Torquils,and Baxters.All forenames.
—————————————————————-
I’ve never heard of Frasers or Torquils Soups…
Not yet,but they are on their way.Selected outlets in the West End only.Wont be sold in yer Lidls or Aldi.
Turkeybhoy – get well soon pal.
…..off-oot.
Turkeybhoy
That will do the trick:)
Rest will help as well.
Dont want you kicking off now, when a certain poster appears:)
Calm:)
HH
For all the Byers Road boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t04qzYLzoc
When are we going to move on from Clare Grogan ??
Come on she’s yesterdays Gal
We’ve now got 11 midfielders to chose from, I think Hayes will play, Benyu might make the bench, depends on his fitness, will BR risk Broonie? Tweaked his achilles apparently, I think he’ll play. If Armstrong doesnt appear he may be for the off. Forrrest probably, Sinclair definitely.