I heard earlier this transfer window that the club didn’t expect an offer for Moussa Dembele. There was interest a year ago, but a year of injury, then a fresh injury at the start of this season, convinced all that the player would be with us until January, at least.
When Real Madrid invoked a buy-out clause for Lyon striker Mariano on Wednesday, the French club were prepared to throw a lot of money around to buy a replacement, and their primary target was Moussa Dembele.
There are millions of euros at play here. Agent fees alone would be in seven figures, while the contract available for the player would dwarf anything Celtic pay. In addition, they were prepare to offer Celtic a lot of money. So what do you do?
Celtic were not planning to sell Moussa Dembele, just as they were not planning to sell Kieran Tierney in July. The club gave very clear messages to Lyon that they would not entertain a bid. Note Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas’ comments “I know the boss at Celtic well. He is basically like a bulldog who negotiates after yapping.”
The assumption in Lyon was that after Peter Lawwell’s “yapping” there would be some negotiation. Lyon expected Celtic to roll over, but Celtic did not bite.
The choice was to pocket the money without buying a direct replacement (as it was too late), or reject the offer. The sale was not even considered, by the manager or board. As we saw three weeks ago with Boyata, Celtic do not need the money, what they need is talented footballers.
It was right to reject the offer. Not just because we need players more than money, but because if we fold under player pressure, we will only encourage more ‘sore back/not the right frame of mind’ scenarios when contracted players are tapped up during a qualification campaign.
The football business is incredibly unstable. We contract players, who, if they succeed, will soon be able to earn millions of pounds per year more than we will ever pay them. You either sell when the big offers come, or turn your face to stone and sell when you are ready.
I don’t know if playing hardball this month will stop this happening again, but folding would guarantee tantrums every time a player receives an 80€/week offer. We could be sitting this morning with all the money in the world, but a little light up front. That’s not the plan and never has been.
The first piece of business today was the signing of central mid, Youssouf Mulumbu. Youssouf’s career came off the rails when he broke his metatarsal weeks after joining Norwich three years ago, but a cameo half season at Kilmarnock convinced Brendan Rodgers to move. Welcome to Celtic, Youssouf.
Let’s get Filip Benkovic signed up, and spank Newco back into their dystopian existence on Sunday. Oh, and Malmo and Sarpsborg would do nicely in the Europa.
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MWD
Good to see you posting. Glad to hear things are picking up for you.
Negs. Keep posting, mate.
Back line is plugged but will need completely rebuilt next summer which is too late for the CL qualifiers.
We are dangerously short up front and could lose viral points if both strikers are injured/off form.
Poor planning CSC
DD
Aye we’ll be up…after we leave the ‘hun soothside’
See ya
Hail hail
Matt
EXCATH ( ages ago )
good post.
Moussa Dembele used Twitter to turn the tables on Celtic who couldn’t refuse the offer at the risk of being left with a clearly unhappy player. He appeared to turn full Eric Cantona overnight because we’d told him he wasn’t being allowed to be fast tracked ‘as promised’ back to France for his mega bucks a week.
What use was Moussa Dembele to any of us, still at Celtic but omitted for Sevco on Sunday ?
The Celtic Board were getting panned for selling him yesterday , then getting panned for keeping him overnight, then panned again when we sold him tonight .
C’est la vie Plus Ca Change and all that.
ah well, I’m sure we all hoped for a much better window than that and to be fair (as supporters) we deserved better BUT it’s done now, it’s slammed shut and instead of greetin and personally abusing others for having a different opinion etc I’d like to offer this thought……
The Sevco mob are in raptures right now… going for 55, let’s go, the Stevie gee express etc etc and this is not because they are suddenly a team full of class players… nope, (they may have improved from last season but they are still pish poor) they really think we’ve had this big ‘timplosion’ and are going to buckle all of a sudden haha
Well that’s just fine with me, it’s the hope that kills them and so see on Sunday when we wipe the floor with them and put them right back in their box and their early season hope (like last season and the season before) is wiped out completely we will still be Celtic, we will still be champions and that mob of cheating tax dodging bigots will still not be any closer to us than the day the transfer window opened
As tony Donnelly always said… lurking huns GIRFUY
The Celtic Support is STRONG.
It is likely mighty Fickle….. Howevaaaah.
Only God the Almighty (Outside Time) could make the Story up…. Celtic Beaten in front of EVERYONE, every attending Celt.
Now about Attacking so Many Excellent Managers?
This Time was in Situ.
It’s over.
Disnae Matter to those that don’t really care.
Mackay 12.14am
Good to see you on the blog … don’t give a flying flick about your politics but at least I know you are a Celtic fan :-)
Hail Hail fae ML5 ?
Makay = Macjay :-)
Celtic and Rodgers had an agreement with Team Dembele, that he would be sold if a suitable offer came in.
An offer that was suitable to BOTH the player and the club.
The offer that came in at the eleventh hour certainly suited the player, but not the club.
In those circumstances, Celtic expected the player to honour the agreement.
Dembele chose not to.
Anyone who can not accept this scenario is merely out to create mischief for the club, for their own perverse reasons, assuming that they are Celtic supporters in the first instance.
People creaming themselves because MacJ appears just after Neganon departs. MMMJ
Meanwhile nobody notices that Ulstercelt has reposted after chuckin it
Never mind the quality fell the width neoconcsc
HH
GORDON64 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 12:17 AM
£20,000,000 for a player we bought 2 years ago for £500,000 with a dodgy hamstring is not the worst deal ever. We’ve sold better players for a lot less money.
——————————
That should take care of the hotel reception area surely?
PJBHOYNYC-seen them on way by on escalator ?
Been at gate d,then moved all the way back to C,where we had came off Vegas flight.Still here???
Peter Lawwell please go, especially if Brendan walks.
Fanatic
I’m a conservative Catholic. I approve of his actions so far on abortion.
He needs more support from Congress to defund the Planned Parenthood infanticide.
Please don’t mention race. If you research PP’s roots, they were founded in the eugenics of Margaret Sanger.
I am no hypocrite and the unborn cause is the constant subject of my daily prayers.
The regularly berate the Church for is lack of action particularly here in the north east.
Window closed, we’re significantly weaker, so much for the “ we aim to come out of a transfer window stronger than we went in “. Heads need to roll and soon. A CEO who is undermining the manager and a Head of Recruitment who can’t identify replacements for those who leave would be a start.
We’ll be looking for a new manager next summer, if not before, thankfully we have Lenny waiting in the wings, if he can be bothered working with the ego if he’s still in situ.
After 50 years totally scunnered, not even sure we’ll win on Sunday, 10 in a row seems a pipe dream.
Disguasted.
PETEC – 12:11 AM
“On Gun Stuff, we are gonnae have to disagree.”
Compare and contrast gun deaths including school shootings/ massacres here and the US then go try and figure out the common denominator.
Ah but we did a brilliant piece of business so we did. LIKE WE HAD THE CHOICE!!!
MWD
Petec 12.27am
Peter must stay
Dermot will just appoint another CEO to do what his boss tells him
We are in a great place
Don’t believe the internet think fur yourself 8 @ row is on the go :-)
Support the club, not the holding company.
Heard it all now. Good night.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Dembele is not the issue.
I don’t think fans see him as the big picture.
It’s our continual unpreparedness that has them so angry.
The boards profit before team strategy is causing this anger.Todays events were hardly a revelation.
We have a highly paid coach and ceo who both claimed to be caught out by circumstances which stretches credibility.
To have no contingency plans was amateurish.
The credibility of Brendan ,Dembele and Celtic’s custodians has all taken a hit over this saga.
MWD @ 12:15
I smiled and I really shouldn’t have.
Time to stand away from the keyboard.
Dumbhoy on 1st September 2018 12:25 am
Good to Learn from different points of view.
Emus Moussa did a job for us and will go down in Celtic history as an Invincible and part of the double Double. Hh
Moonbeams 12.28am
The clue is in “social media” other outlets :-) am afraid it’s a social media thing open to all … it sorts of works both ways you have appeared on CQN last couple of days “stalking” the transfer windae to suits ones opinion it’s that dam social media thing
http://www.celticfc.net/fixtures/6635
The Celtic team that beat Sevco 5-0 on 29th April, 2018
Craig Gordon
Mikael Lustig
Kristoffer Ajer
Dedryck Boyata
Kieran Tierney
Scott Brown
Olivier Ntcham
James Forrest
Tom Rogic
Callum McGregor
Odsonne Edouard
Subs
Sinclair on for Rogic (67)
Hendry on for Lustig (71)
Griffiths on for Edouard (75
Unused subs
Bain
Simunovic
Roberts
Kouassi
So, no Dembele, Armstrong or Roberts (who was unused sub).
No players from that day have left the club and are available for Sunday
(Armstrong was halfway out the door, Roberts ditto & Moussa was injured)
The only difference is that our club & squad have lost some confidence, but given the shenanigans over transfers etc maybe we can see why some might be affected.
Brendan has an eye for good footballers, but who also always seem to be “nice guys” and who take that same attitude onto the field. Laffatme has a ball with nice guys.
We need leaders and guys with some dig with big mouths to gee up the others.
Hoping that Youssouf Mulumbu is cut from that cloth.
BTW, finished his interview with Celtic TV today by saying “I’m no longer wlaking alone.”
Well prepped I suppose but it was nice to hear.
Saw a video of Filip Benkovic. He looks great
(what was the video going to show – his 20 greatest Efe moments?)
However, he does like to slide in ‘a la Bobo’ so if he plays, he’ll need to be spot on and no studs showing or else Laffatme & Morelos will be playing “Best Faller” for the whole 90 minutes.
Oh the SEVCO are SHIITE…..
So tell me. What we going to do with 20milliin? Oh wait, balance some losses for failing to back the manager and invest in areas he highlighted as weakness’s while ensuring Peter’s bonus does not dry up.
Be lucky if we spend a fiver in January as that is reputed to be a really really really bad windy to buy players in according to CQN
MWD
Anyone flouncing tonight remember you have to wear the obligatory pink tutu.
MOUSSA BULLIED EVERY SEVCO player.
Political correctness was Exterminated.
Sevco have went for the Brute force.
We need to Sing like Never before @ Celtic Park.
Walk on against Suduva was not needed.
Sunday.
Tom Rogic to kick major Ass.
What about some Ry Cooder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEUIZWyieAk
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2018 12:21 AM
EXCATH ( ages ago )
good post.
Moussa Dembele used Twitter to turn the tables on Celtic who couldn’t refuse the offer at the risk of being left with a clearly unhappy player. He appeared to turn full Eric Cantona overnight because we’d told him he wasn’t being allowed to be fast tracked ‘as promised’ back to France for his mega bucks a week.
What use was Moussa Dembele to any of us, still at Celtic but omitted for Sevco on Sunday ?
The Celtic Board were getting panned for selling him yesterday , then getting panned for keeping him overnight, then panned again when we sold him tonight .
C’est la vie Plus Ca Change and all that.
………………………..
Manges Touts, manges touts! Petite pois!
GG
That is your right but when they show the same concern for the living i will give them more credibility.
There is rank hypocrisy in the Christian right and i honestly believe many of their actions are in direct contrast to the teachings of Christ.
I do not care what Planned Parenthood originated from and i offer no judgement on individuals rights over abortion.
Trump is a user of convenience and is pandering to his base.
When the same people who oppose abortion promise to take care of the child born due to this then i will have more belief in their sincerity.
Dear oh dear oh dear. We were blindsided and duped. Same old same old. Never expected a bid for prized assets?
Don’t these French/ Belgian projects ever learn the Soldiers Song? Obviously not Catholic enough.
Speyside Lhad, Couldn’t agree more. In the midst of all our ‘troubles’ on Thursday night we won 3-0. The atmosphere became electric. I know it wasn’t Barca we were playing but they on the other hand came out 1-1 against an even poorer team than we were playing against. And this is the height of their achievements since they were founded in 2012.
They are still babes in arms the poor wee lost souls.
Holy crap, gloves off tonight ?
The Dark one gets so strong @ the end.
Fanatic
We live in a capitalist society here, like it or lump it.
Since Trump was elected the stock market has rocketed with circa 60percent of Americans invested for retirement through their 401ks, IRAs or Mutual Funds.
Unemployment particularly among minorities has plummeted. There is now an odd stat floating around which says there are more job openings than unemployed.
What better way to care for the living than full employment?
Moonbeams 12.43am
No sticky ness here :-)
Looking forward to Sunday unlike others I look forward to (hopefully) besting any form of the Hun that emanates from Govan
Hope you are good and try not and let the inter web thing mess with yir heid :-)