Celtic tipped to spend big in bid to land Champions League riches

Many of the treble winners’ supporters were opposed to the Northern Irishman, who angered them when he departed for Leicester City before the culmination of the 2018/19 season, replacing the widely admired Ange Postecoglou back in June. 

Fans have also been underwhelmed by many of the players who have been brought on board during the last two windows even though over £20m has been spent strengthening the squad.

But Callum McGregor and his team mates, who are three points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership table with four league games remaining and are through to the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final, could complete a domestic double this month.

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Hartson is convinced the Celtic hierarchy, who are looking for a new head of recruitment following the departure of Mark Lawwell back in February, will have reviewed their transfer strategy as a result of the difficulties they have endured, not least in Europe, this term.

Speaking at his charity foundation’s annual golf day at Turnberry yesterday, the Welsh striker, who helped Celtic to reach the UEFA Cup final in Seville back in 2003, expressed confidence they will spend the sort of money needed to end their lamentable run in continental competitions next term. 

“It’s important the Celtic board backs Brendan this summer and I think they will,” he said. “They all saw the disappointing Champions League campaign. And I think they’ll now listen to the fact he was talking about bringing in real quality in January.

“I’m not saying they go and spend £10m on a player because that’s not really Celtic’s way. They did it with Odsonne Edouard a few years ago and previously in years gone by big money on the likes of myself, Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson. But I just think clubs these days are holding onto their purse strings much more.

“But I still expect the board to back Brendan. I think they have to. They need to help him get to the second phase of the Champions League because in recent years it’s been awful, it really, really has.

“There is money there now and I really do think Brendan will get the backing he wants because that’s all you hear him say. In almost every interview since the January window he’s talked about bringing in quality. I don’t think what happened previously can happen again. There were a lot of people very disgruntled last time with what happened.

“This time around, if they can get into the Champions League, I think they have to back him. Because Celtic cannot have another season in the Champions League like the last few. They need to be stronger and you need quality players to do that. You need big players and big characters to add to what they’ve got, the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Matt O’Riley.

“Listen, there are always teams that want to come and nick your players. And sometimes, when it’s a big bid like £20m for Kieran Tierney or £25m for Jota it’s an extreme offer. Celtic have no option then, they can’t turn those types of offers away. But Brendan needs to add and I think he will get the money this time.”

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Hartson believes that Celtic should make signing Adam Idah, the Republic of Ireland internationalist who has netted seven goals since arriving on loan from Norwich City back in January, on a permanent deal a priority when the 2023/24 campaign is over.

The former Arsenal, West Ham, Wimbledon, Coventry City and West Brom forward, who won six major honours in the five years which he spent in the East End of Glasgow, believes Idah is good enough to challenge Kyogo Furuhashi for a place in the starting line-up.

“Strikers are hard to find,” he said. “The fee to get him now will have shot up because he’s been success at the club. But he’s scored big, important goals for Celtic this season.

“When he first came in you got the feeling some of the fans were a bit nonplussed. They looked at him playing for Norwich, maybe not getting a game every week, and it was a loan signing. But he has done well. He’s big and powerful, he can run in behind and he knows how to finish.

“If Celtic can get him for around the £4m or £5m mark, it would be a great bit of business. He could be a great signing. It can be a gamble with new signings, but Celtic will know what they are gong to get. They know he can make an impact in games, they know he can score big goals and handle the pressure.

“It’s a decision for Brendan Rodgers but I have been impressed with him. He seems a level headed boy who has a lot of attributes.”

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Hartson continued: “I don’t think Idah and Kyogo will play together, but Brendan knows whoever gets the nod has got quality. You would think Kyogo is the first choice, but that can always change.

“When I first arrived at Celtic, my first thought was, ‘How am I going to get in this team?’ Henrik (Larsson) and Sutty (Chris Sutton) had scored 66 goals between them the previous year on the way to the treble.

“I went to see Martin O’Neill and he said, ‘Yeah, but Henrik scored 53 of them!’ They were a great partnership, but Martin said give it some time and you’ll have the crowd eating out of your hand.

“I managed to get in after four of five games and in five years I never came out of the team.

“I came off a few times mind you!  When you play with quality players it brings the best out of you. We had so much quality in that side, the boys were immense.

“It’s a different era now but they need that quality for the league and for Europe. I do think Brendan will be backed because there were a lot of disgruntled fans who though he should have had more in January.”

“John Hartson was speaking at his annual golf day at Turnberry for his foundation. The Hartson Foundation has raised awareness and made several donations to cancer charities all around Scotland for more than a decade.”