Celtic’s objective for today is to add a striker, who is happy to take his chances at Celtic behind Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele. The target (as you will know) is 19-year-old France youth international Odsonne Edouard.
We have agreed a loan with Celtic having the option to buy for an eight-figure sum. There remains a complication between player and current club, Paris Saint-Germain, which all parties are hoping will resolve, but this one has the potential to go to the wire.
Odsonne is regarded by manager, scouts and coaches at Celtic as an absolute star. He made four starts for Toulouse in Ligue 1 last season before off-field matters got in the way (which I’ll not trivialise, but we’ll deal with at a later date). He is a player who needs to leave Paris for new influences in a fresh environment. The move to Celtic could be the break he needs.
The initial loan period gives the player a chance to resolve any legacy issues before Celtic commit to breaking transfer records.
The manager has been impressed by Odsonne’s attitude thus far. He knows he would be the junior party in a three-man attacking roster, and that his objectives for the season is to press those above him.
In the coming weeks, our fit 19-year-old central defender will be joined by three more-senior team-mates. Competing with Kristoffer Ajer for fourth spot is only likely to be attractive to another teenage prodigy. I don’t expect movement on this front.
At this stage of the window, the chances of anyone near the first team being allowed to leave are reducing, but there are a lot of worried teams with >£100m of TV money out there. Enough to fund transfer fees and provide wages to unsettle the most faithful of stalwarts.
There will be calls made, you can be sure of that. I know some people at Celtic Park who will be happy people after 23:00 tonight, when the window in England closes, without any of our players being unsettled.
Enjoy your day, let’s hope Odsonne’s details are sorted and no one waves £50k per week-type money before our players.
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It seems that Burnley arent gonna sign any more players this window. Perhaps Jozo is staying afterall.
Etims are quite adamant he wants/wanted to go
Past windows still make me sceptical but if we get the striker and a CB we’ll be rocking
Hope you’re right Bada, and the millions that ‘smaller’ English clubs are able to offer won’t sway a team that are looking to balance the books with regard to UEFA’s FFP rules.
I know. That sounds ridiculous, given that they’ve spent around 350m Euro’s on two players alone in this transfer window, but that’s what they’re doing.
I’d not seen anything, anywhere, on Denswil before he was linked with a move to us, and just a matter of hours later, he’s off to Brighton on loan. Continental Clubs know that if they deal with an EPL club they can add XX millions to a transfer fee compared to what we can offer. Agents are all too aware of this as well, and I wonder sometimes if they use us to generate interest in their clients, because they see what we’ve done with Wanyama and VVD etc. and their eyes begin to spin £ signs like the wheels on a one armed bandit :-)
Thinking ahead to the PSG tie, week on Tuesday, I’d prefer that none of our mainstays went into it as their fourth game in 12 days. So, whichever Celts play two international matches across this weekend will take a seat in the stand next Friday at Hamilton. No charge, Brendan.
Hope the complication isn’t as sordid as – who pays the agent’s fee? The kid reads to be a good’un.
weebobbycollins@ 11.04
Well said, could not agree more.
KINGLuBO
I’m not Board bashing as I fully appreciate they can not magic up a CH who is better than what we have at a price they can afford such is the lunacy of the current market…
However that is the challenge as I see it. We are not in the market for a player to challenge Ajer…we need to be in the market for an improvement on all existing CH options inour squad. So Id take Simonovic as the benchmark. Is there a sub £10m option who would come to us who is proven better than what we have?
That is my expectation.
Its a hefty investment but the rest of the squad is there..this is the missing piece that could yield a seriously big return. We have never been in a better financial position to take this level of risk.
Turkeybhoy
Just my opinion and view…everyone has one and everyone thinks theirs is right….
Which defender did you think Rivaldo was replacing??
Good article Paul which puts things in perspective. I’ll be content if we can get the young Frenchman Odsonne in today. He’ll be one of Three Musketeers with Ollie and Moussa.
Where I don’t share your optimism is with young Master Ajer at centre back. I think he’ll be an excellent centre mid in time. He is a very good player but not at centre back. He is not an accident waiting to happen, that accident already happened in Astana and damn near looked as if it was going to prove fatal at one point.
I think we’ve done great in the transfer window. Nt’cham (brilliant), Benyu (excellent young prospect ‘first team ready’ -BR), Jonny Hayes (best player in Scotland outside of Celtic) and now possibly another excellent young prospect on loan. Oh and did I forget about Patrick?!!! To me, if we had got Patrick back, that alone would have proved to be a successful transfer window. So well done to Brendan, PL and the Board.
I’m going to take the rest of the day off the Blog, like some others and tune in again around 11pm. I’ve had enough of the repetitive criticism of PL ( and his heated drivewa- Jesus wept) and the Board. Let’s save criticism for them for matters where they have let us down.
KTF
STAND DOWN BHOYS!!
Our window has closed!
Hoooooray!
From 31 degree Turkey I too woukd say we are 1 central defender away from a fantastic window. Our South African basket of eggs let me down.
Originalsadiesbhoy
Agree.
Pre Brendan I was a most ardent critic of PL. I think with justification. Basically PL temporarily shat it imo and played the ‘new no OF context safety strategy’ exactly when he should have speculated to ingrain Celtic domination.
My take is DD also spotted that and backed BR appointment thus redirecting PL to his proper remit which he has subsequently delivered with aplomb.
So I’m very satisfied BR is leading football matters. I’m happy with the ambition we now show. I’m happy with our progress in Europe.
I’m happy we have a squad of considerable value with easily liquidised assets and a queue of able replacements. I’m happy with full houses, sold out season tickets and increasing share prices.
I feel we need a CH but in the scheme of recent achievements not getting one is no cause to bash the Board at this point. In fact it seems quite petulant.
If Brendan wats/needs a CB he will get one in imho. Osdonne Eduardo….right on HH
Only see the point in this one if we have a REASONABLE fixed fee if we want to buy the player attached on to the deal.
Otherwise we’re bringing in a player who will either not play a huge amount; or play, develop and lower the value of our current players. If he comes in, starts to develop and then we can buy him for £4-6m at the end of the year then great. He’d hopefully be a ready made replacement when someone comes in with a serious bid for Dembele. But if he’s here then gone all it’s doing is taking the chance away from the youth players.
I know the same could have been said for Roberts, but he initially signed a 2 year deal (or 18 months?) and then back for another year, it’s like having a top player for 3 years which is normally all you could get anyway, with the small hope that come the end of the year, with another year off his contract, we could buy him.
With Odsonne (unless Dembele goes today), he’d be there for backup in the SPL. I just don’t see the point on going short term on this one. We should be buying young guys for the future and loaning older more experienced players.
I see why we aren’t going for another defender because we don’t want 4 first team senior centre backs, but we really could be doing with a real quality CB and maybe offloading one that’s here.
I’m happy enough that we’re out of the window (if everything stays the same) as we came in, but feel we could have cemented things better given the CL qualification. A bit of a lack in future planning when inevitable bids come in for our top players.
Osdonne is odds on to sign.
Why do posters feel the need to quote crazy EPL prices, we don’t shop in that market, the likes of VvD, Vic, Jozo never came from the EPL and cost nothing like the prices some are quoting.
Are yous quoting them to justify the club not spending money ?
There are quality players out there for reasonable money, we have shown that.
As for no new CB, I very much doubt that Brendan doesn’t want one, he publicly stated last year he wanted one, he has done so this year as well, he tried to get the boy from SA in, so by the powers off deduction that tells me he want’s another CB in.
Not a moan, just an observation.
GIVEHIMTHEMONEYPETERCSC on 31ST AUGUST 2017 11:25 AM
Turkeybhoy
Just my opinion and view…everyone has one and everyone thinks theirs is right….
Which defender did you think Rivaldo was replacing??
None,at present.He was ,I suspect being brought in as back up,for injuries,and to be trained up for the near future.We know that Brendan wants his type of CH.Ball lumpers,not required.Not easy to find.
Did Paul67 not say in his article that there would be no cb in today?
Or did I read it wrong again?
In the coming weeks, our fit 19-year-old central defender will be joined by three more-senior team-mates. Competing with Kristoffer Ajer for fourth spot is only likely to be attractive to another teenage prodigy. I don’t expect movement on this front.
…………………………
See, I told you!
Glendalystonsils
You can bet on that…
Keeping Moussa, Keiran, Jozo would represent a good window, even if we sign no one other than Edwouard today.
Rumours about the giant CH from Bristol.5 million quoted.
Ooh arr,thur be.
Call me greedy but a CB and a striker would be fantastic. Ollie looks like some smart business as does Benyu so in addition of our Paddy just now I am more than happy, 6 weeks ago we would never have envisaged having all 3/cbs injured at once but we need back up for moussa so a loan is the smart play.
F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 all day long.
KLV
PHILBHOY on 31ST AUGUST 2017 11:43 AM
Did Paul67 not say in his article that there would be no cb in today?
Or did I read it wrong again?
Ah,but at the time of writing he never knew about the Bristol boy.
Erik Sviatchenko confirms to Danish newspaper B.T. that he plans on staying at Celtic. #celticfc
Roberts is like having a 12m player in the pound shop. Very clever by the Club. He loves it we love him, keep using this model. Clever businesses evolve and we have.
Magic.
KLV
I was going to write that Osdonne signing would be a shot in the arm but thought better of it.
Erik was captain material under Ronnie, the rotation system doesn’t suit everyone. Eric has struggled under it. Hesitation in all his play now that wasn’t there when we signed him.
KLV
Glendalys,
“Osdonne is odds on to sign”
Osdonne is Odd onne.
HH
Noticed Brendan mentioned his surprise that a song hasn’t been heard in praise of James Forrest.
I think he is a top player for us and appreciate his contribution to the team. I’m always pointing out his good points to other celts who get frustrated with him.
I get the feeling he would enhance his standing with the support if he showed more bravery when tackled and got ‘ stuck in ‘ a bit more.
Anyway enough about a song for JF , what about a song for the board in recognition of the work they do??? ;-)
HH
TET,
The overinflated market of the EPL Is in our faces and TV channels, and many if not most of us watch English footie.
However it’s not just the EPL that has gone crazy. Look at Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China et all. Compare their wages and ultimately that is who we are competing against to sign players.
It’s not just the transfer cost , it’s the whole package. Fee, Wages, Agents Fee, Insurances , add on fees , penalty clauses etc, etc.
I’ve even seen year long loan fees ,circa £6 m this morning.
In that context, we are doing well , although understandably we want more and better.
HH.
Ffs.
Damn you autocorrect
Ods onne
HH
Henry Joy McCracken born 250 years ago today
One of the first in a long line and fine tradition of Irish Protestant Revolutionaries
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/ode-to-henry-joy-an-irishman-s-diary-about-the-250th-birthday-of-a-revolutionary-1.3203744
GP
This is where our scouting dept comes into play.
There are markets out there that as yet are still relatively untapped, Africa for one, the potential there is massive.
The Balkans, eastern europe as well, we have the infrastructure in place, we need to use it effectively.
As yet the leagues you mentioned haven’t drained the planet yet :-)
HH
Dbhoy
The brigadiers are seemingly struggling to come up with a song for James Forrest, they don’t want “There’s only one James Forrest” as that’s just rubbish.
Suggestions required, might even deflect some on here frae smashin transfer windaes today :)
THE EXILED TIM on 31st August 2017 12:10 pm
Its an interesting point. There are loads of mid level European leagues not awash with cash, and also plenty clubs in the big leagues that we can compete with (outwith EPL).
Celtic will know each and every player at these clubs inside out.
I just hope we are not passing on good solid CB’s because we are looking for the next one to make us a massive profit.
Risky business when it leaves you short and a balance needs to be struck between having players with potential resale and players who will fit in and do you a job medium/longer term.
HH
The Exiled Tim
Our scouting department did identify a young international CB playing for a good African team – Coetzee. A relatively untapped market. We tried to get him in good time before the window.
Bad luck that fell through. The scouting team simply cannot get anything done now for someone in such a market – arrange fees medical etc. We are in the same mad end of season rammy as everyone else.
But clever deals did get done for Kouassi, Benyu, Ntcham, and Hayes in good time. It’s really one position that has become a problem in the last month that we have had bad luck with.
Paul67
As you normally get this info from Peter Lawwell, then what your telling us about no central defender
being brought in today is gross incompetence by the club.
You state that 3 central defenders being fit soon is the reason…the why try to sign Coetzee and Denayer?
We lost Ambrose, Toure and O’Connell from last season and haven’t replaced them.
The argument doesn’t stack up as Moussa will be fit soon, so why bring in another forward?
The club has never been in such a financially dominant position as now, where we have known
since last season that to do anything in Champions League we had to bring in a central defender to
play beside Jozo.
Incidentally, Eric won’t be fit for months. Jozo is a constant concern with injuries, and Boyata is a long way short for Champions League level. Ajer showed how out of his depth he looked at this level against Astana.
The old spin to deflect about no bids for our players being the real positive is so long in the tooth that i’m
surprised that you didn’t take Lawwell to task about putting that on your blog. Nobody takes that PR spin
seriously, as they know its just a deflection.
14 year old has his say.
I love the sound of hyperbole in the morning..
“Gross Incompetence by the club”
Superb effort…chapeau…