It seems to be an emerging pattern that Celtic get eliminated from the Champions League and then their transfer dealings seem to step up a gear.
I’m told that Shane Duffy will be announced tomorrow, certainly by the end of the week.
The medical has been completed in Dublin.
The tab for that season-long loan will be approximately £3.5m (£2m loan fee and £1.5m wages).
There will be an option to buy at the end of the season.
However, Brighton are also apparently interested in Olivier Ntcham.
So, that loan deal could become a swap plus cash.
However, the French midfielder and his representative seems more inclined towards Southampton who will pay higher wages.
My information is that there is possibly another Celtic medical ongoing, and that is for James McCarthy.
Asking fee?
Probably around £8m?
The Irishman now plays as a defensive midfielder at Crystal Palace.
This news, if it comes to fruition, seems to indicate that the management at Celtic do not believe that Scott Brown has a full season in his 35-year-old legs.
If Duffy and McCarthy arrive, does this then represent a change of direction in the Celtic recruitment strategy?
The two Irishmen are certainly not “projects” with a view to a future sale.
Does this also mean that Calum McGregor is also out of the door?
I certainly hope not.
However, it would please the Chief Executive.
Ajer, McGregor, Ntcham and Rogic would represent the lost Champions League revenue plus the cost of signing players like Ajeti.
There are a few suitors out there with many millions to spend.
Challenging times at Celtic.
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Was Soro not bought to replace Brown..?
Or is he a £2m bench-filler..?
BTW Brown’s legs have totally gone.
Agree about McGinn – stupidity on a grand scale. I think your description of McGregor is better applied to Elyonoussi, a player who can take a ball 40 yards and then fail to pass it 3. McGregor needs to be pushed up, there is none better at finding space in this country.
McGregor can cause teams way more problems being deployed as a Regista /Deep Lying Playmaker as he will further forward.
The issue is more who you play in front of him.
There was a short window under a Rodgers when both Brown and Ntcham were not available for selection and Brendan was forced to play McGregor deep with both Rogic and Christie in front.
The transformation was instant as we went from a slow sideways passing build up reliant on possession to a fast moving and effective attack minded unit.
To deploy this setup effectively however you do need one of the other two players to be defensively aware and willing to track back or put tackles in to allow the Regista the space to operate.
Pirlo was a master Regista as was Xavi and in the modern era we have the likes of Verratti at PSG and Kroos at Madrid.
I believe Turnbull can be that wingman to McGregor as he has the desire,drive and engine to go box to box allowing McGregor the room to operate and pick his passes.
Browns age is against him and it has been no surprise that he a former box to box Midfielder has dropped deep into the Holding role in Midfield.
I can see Turnbull and or perhaps Soro getting more game time this Season as Brown gets more rest in between games against the lesser sides.
I think the dynamic will shift very visibly when this happens and fully expect Turnbull to make a positive impact in there when the time comes.
https://youtu.be/IoyjjlTipEE
I will state this now mc carthy is rid rotten worse than Brown, the only thing going his way, is the fact he is Irish, but his ability as a player will test many a supporter here
Why is him being “Irish” the only thing going his way? What difference does that make to his ability as a footballer? I think also that you’ve been sadly misinformed as to his “Irishness”, he may play for them but being born in Glasgow and having an Irish grandparent, really doesn’t make you Irish, except ridiculously in the eyes of FIFA.
You are the one who is “sadly misinformed”.
Our nationality legislation allows a person with one Irish grandparent to be an Irish citizen.
So the United Nations, as well as FIFA, recognises such a person as Irish if they so wish to self-define as such.
It is a requirement that any player in an international side must qualify for and have the passport of that country.
We Irish are a diaspora nation and are so because of oppressive historical circumstance.
Sadly, the denial of the 2GI identity is a manifestation of a discreet racism that many Scots still harbour.
It is instructive that Scots not born in Scotland are rarely challenged apropos their Caledonian credentials.
For example, is Richard Gough Scottish or Swedish?
In modern Scotland, it is only the Irish who are subject to this treatment.
It isn’t a good look.
Do better.
I may be in a very small minority here, but I really can’t get excited about the arrival of Duffy. If he was anywhere near as good as a huge number of Celtic fans seem to believe, there are clubs out there who can afford to pay an awful lot more than we can. I’ve heard there is a clause in the loan that allows us to take him permanently for £5m at the end of the loan. £5m!!! Where exactly does that put him in the EPL pecking order for a CB.
Charger,
At the moment Duffy is better than anything we already have.
He might not be top quality but he will improve our defence.
Well said, If he was not irish there would not be half the fuss.
This is worrying. It smacks of desperation. We should have shut the stable door before the horse has bolted.
We now appear to be panic buying in the overpriced market of the EPL. This proposed deal for a defender has been widely reported for weeks, allowing time for his club to see if any other bids were forthcoming. We are now, between loan fee and wages, reportedly paying £70,000 per week for a player whose contract will have no equity at the end of the season. What happened to the club’s wage structure?
I hope he is worth it.
The worrying thing for me is that Sevco, with there financial constraints and the unhappy more or less are going about their business. Our sniping from the sidelines won’t have any impact on their restrictions. Can’t for the life of me understand why you would field without a recognised striker. I mean it was a simple task to treat a one match qualifier with some ambition. Maybe we could profit from the way Gerard has dealt with more or less. Earn your money and your place with effort.
The fact Griffiths and Édouard were out injured,Ajeti isn’t fit enough to last more than 20 minutes and Klimala is still in development as a Striker (See the two misses v Motherwell for clarification) might just have had something to do with the decision not to start with a recognised Striker.
We were playing the Champions of Hungary in the Champions League in a straight knockout tie not Morton in the League Cup.
Why do people keep mentioning ‘Champions of Hungary’ as if they are some sorta CL QF…?
C O`B
So, does that mean that when Klimala has been “developed” he won`t miss any more sitters? My memory may be playing tricks on me but didn`t Edouard miss an open goal a couple of weeks ago
You would expect Édouard or Griffiths to be putting a 1 yard tap in away yes.
You would also expect far more composure from either when through on a one on one like Klimala.
That comes with experience,experience Klimala doesn’t have at the moment.
He’s raw and needs time to Develop but to suggest he lead the line in a must win Champions League game based on a goal v Ross County is stretching it.
Lenny clearly doesn’t rate him as highly as the online experts.
If he did he would be starting more games.
If Ajeti was fit he WOULD be starting more games.
I think it is blatantly obvious why he was signed whilst being unfit.
@Trumps Hairdo
Is the title of Hungarian Champions just handed out every year?
Or is that team DESERVING of being RIGHTLY labelled Champions.
Teams that are Champions should not be taken lightly in Europe regardless of what you think of them.
Change is good.
The only member of the team I wouldn’t want to leave is McGregor.
But, if he wants to leave, then fair enough.
All the other players rumoured to want away can leave: the sooner the better.
The quicker we can get in decent / better replacements – who are keen to be at the club – the quicker a new team can be bedded in.
And signing McCarthy would be a great start…
I should think the wages of Forster,Gordon and Simunovic will cover most of it.
Rogics proposed move to Quatar should cover most if not all of the Ajeti fee whilst Hayes wages covers some of his?
I still expect Ntcham and/or Édouard to be sold in this window which should absorb the CL loss of revenue.
McGregor isn’t talking like a player with one eye on the exit to me anyway he’s been groomed as Browns replacement as Club Captain.
Bob are you a sevconian you don’t care if we sell off most if not all of the squad who won 3 trebles in a row.IMO the two problems Celtic have are the manager is not good enough for a club the size of Celtic and the money man Peter Lawell is trying to run Celtic to suit his ambitions and not the clubs ambitions.
Can you name a top flight club ANYWHERE who changed manager during the season and went on to win their title. Now, there may be dozens of them out there, but personally, I cannot think of ONE.
Bullshit! Change for the BETTER is good. Change for the sake of change is a recipe for disaster. When wholesale changes are made simply because they can be, the disaster has happened.
Said at the end of last season Brown was past it. but you didn’t believe me, his latest dangerous lunge ( yellow reluctantly given ) proves it. If he can’t get the ball he has no shame in taking the man. Many dangerous tackles over the years treated leniently simply because he played for Celtic.
Sounds like you are starting to get worried. Good.
I would ask you to step back and look at McGregor’s whole contribution which was to pass backwards or sideways, apart of course for that wonderful piece of skill he produced on Sunday. He seems to have fallen in to Browns role and now we have two holding midfielders.I don’t believe for a minute he is captain material with the likes of Duffy and others like Ajer in the squad.
In fact, who needs a midfield when most teams park the bus.
I believe the only reason McGregor was playing further back was because Ntcham was in his place. Celtic should not be playing those three together.
When Deila first arrive he talked about lack of fitness of the players under Lennon.
Lennon hit back at Deila saying: “It’s disrespectful when a new manager comes in and immediately says ‘The players aren’t fit enough’ “I didn’t monitor what players were eating in the canteen. You have a set diet and the food at Celtic was top class. See if I see a player happy and full of running, I just let him carry on.
The players seemed to down tools in protest and have settled into a default of passing the ball about with no sense of urgency and have tried to do this ever since, only occasionally step up a gear when forced to. Take Forrest for example, he only plays when critized or is pushed for his position as Roberts did. I believe the paucity both financially and in personnel in the other teams has gone a long way to helping Celtic achieve what they achieved. Sevco imploded after the break last season. Are they going to do that again? Lennon better hope.
The best combination in Midfield over the past 5 years has been
McGregor
Rogic-Christie
I believe Turnbull in for Rogic will produce a similar effect.
Spot on pal.
Is Duffy TEN years younger than Defoe? Is Defoe the highest paid player in scottish football history? HH
The sale of McGregor would be a huge blow. He showed again on Sunday why he is the best midfield player in Scotland. And has been for some time. It is debatable whether Celtic need a defensive midfielder at least in the SPL. You do have to wonder why all of this is being done after the fact of elimination from the CL. Maybe DD has said – construct a squad for next year’s CL now. I would keep Ajer ahead of the other central defenders. He can step forward and produce a pass like Sunday. Let’s hope that this is about forward planning rather than the above scenario.
Is Duffy TEN years younger than defoe? Is defoe the highest paid player in scottish football history? Asking for some friends. HH
McGregor isn’t playing as a defensive mid at Celtic that’s Browns job.
He’s deployed as a Regista (Deep Lying Playmaker) ala Verratti at PSG and Kroos at Madrid.
I was referring to McCarthy for 8m rather than McGregor. Is that necessary even with the loss of Brown? The main problem with the midfield on Sunday is that Brown and Ntcham cannot play together. McGregor is far better up the pitch. We have three central defenders who are actually good passers of a ball.
Yes sorry I read the piece and put the reply in the wrong place bud.
I think the issue is actually Ntcham.
He’s a classy player given space and time and can look like a world beater but as soon as he’s pressed or man marked he drifts out of games and becomes a passenger.
He’s not suited to the Scottish game and might be best suited in a League that affords him that space and time to flourish.
McGregor can cause as much damage in the deep role as he isn’t playing in there like Brown does.
It seems a great many don’t understand the difference in role ( Including the Celtic TV Commentary) between a Defensive Mid playing at 8 or a Regista playing in the same position on the Park?
There are Regista’s that can and do tackle like Verratti but they generally are more inclined to press or cut passes off by positioning rather than challenging.
I think the introduction of Turnbull will be a bit of a game changer at Celtic and will allow McGregor more freedom from deep as he is a genuine box to box Mid ( like Brown of old) who will drop to receive and also get up the pitch in support.
A Midfield of McGregor ,Christie- Turnbull could be a very exciting,quick and dangerous Midfield I think especially on the Counter.
I agree. I like that as a central three. I think McGregor is best in the left midfield role with license to go forward. Turnbull is another Murdo McLeod when it comes to goal-scoring and Christie as buzzer. I do think Ajeti will make a difference too. What might have happened if we had done this 3 weeks ago
You allow your veil to slip here and demonstrate your Scottish bias. Last year a chap named Michael Beale found a kink in the Celtic team armor. That was the midfield (3) of Brown, McGregor and Christie. His tactic of pressuring these three almost resulted in a League Cup loss for Celtic. Luckily we had Foster in goal to prevent the breach. He knew that all of them could not defend as a small group or individually. In attack, Brown does not go there, staying near the back four to pass squarely or backwards, McGregor is the same, padding his stats from the periphery of action, instead of getting between the lines (similar to De Bruyne or Silva play at Manchester City). Christie does work hard, however much of his running produces nothing, his touch and passing ability is nowhere near that of Oliver Ntcham. Watch the PSG preseason match and you will no doubt see what I maintain in this post with emphasis on McGregor Christie and Ntcham. Brown did not play in this match.
Those three are the problem! It is not Oliver and if you changed the lineup to Bitton, Ajer or (even Soro) and Oliver you would see a better balance in midfield. You discuss a difference in player roles and that a great many lack knowledge. Really! However, when you stated that Oliver is the issue in the Celtic midfield your football competency has taken a real nose dive. A question: What player would OL Lyon; Porto or Southhamption purchase of Brown, McGregor, Turnbull, Christie or Ntcham?
My three in midfield would be ntcham,bitton, rodric, all day long four up front eddy, griffthis, Turnbull, McGregor, back three elhamad jullien ajer. Sub’s kamala frimpong, forrest, elyounoussi, Christy, Duffy, Johnston
@alghazzali
I would be willing to wager McGregor if sold will fetch a bigger fee than Ntcham will from Celtic.
Your appraisal of him is naive to say the least.
Ntcham is brilliant in flashes and often goes missing in games where he is pressed or man marked.
McGregor never hides and can take a pass in a tight situation without getting flustered often releasing a FORWARD pass in order to launch an attack.
He finds space where space is limited.
If Celtic sold Ntcham tomorrow he would not be missed.
The same could not be said of McGregor.
Agree with ALL of that.
JRM63
McGregor IMO is in the same mould as Stefen Johansan run about from side to side and loose the ball mostly would not be missed.We missed a golden chance to bring in a midfield player to replace Scott Brown when Peter Lawell tried to get John McGinn for nothing.
Sorry pal. As a Celtic fan you are in a very small minority there. In fact in any group of people with more than two brain cells, you’d be in a minority.
Calmac is a terrific footballer with the stamina to match. Cumulatively, in the last four completed seasons, he has more minutes on the park than any player on the planet.
He’s obviously doing an awful lot right.