Another day and another rash of transfer stories, and I’m enjoying these ones because they all seem to be good news for us in one way or another.
First is the news that it’s down to Celtic and West Ham in the race for Shane Duffy.
I still expect us to land this guy, but it’s always good when a couple of the chasing pack fall by the wayside. EPL interest, from multiple clubs, is the one thing that could ruin the prospects of this deal going through. West Ham is a dysfunctional football institution.
It’s a good club to be up against.
The chances of landing Duffy have been improved somewhat by another development; the impending departure of Tom Rogic.
Sources at Celtic said that tales of him heading for Qatar are premature.
The current word from England is that we may want to use him as a makeweight in the deal to bring Duffy here.
Would Brighton go for that? Would they be willing to waive the loan fee and threw a few million in our direction at the same time?
It’s worth trying on for size, especially as we could then use the money to go and get David Turnbull … another story that is doing the rounds and which certainly adds up when you take a good look at it.
Watch the Turnbull situation carefully. That’s going to go the distance.
Perhaps the best news today is that Newcastle United have been told – and presumably other clubs have too – that they would be wasting their time in making a move for Odsonne Edouard.
Celtic have told them there’s no price tag that will move us.
Well hoo-frigging-ray.
This is what we’ve been hoping to hear for an age.
No messing about, no “every player has his price” but a definitive “look somewhere else” when it comes to the best footballer at the club.
Our club should slap this on McGregor and Christie and every other top squad member at the same time, just to nail it down.
Obviously we all hope for actual transfer news soon – the kind that involves a player coming in – but it’s good that we’ve gotten serious about our best player and told the suitors that it’s hands off for the ten in a row season. Brilliant move.
In the meantime, the Duffy story continues marching to its conclusion … and I still think one that’s going to leave us very satisfied indeed.
The initial version of this mis-identified Duffy’s current team as West Brom.
Edtor Forrest refuses to accept responsibility for the mistake so has docked me two Kit Kats and a coffee.
The Rumour Guy is a Celtic fan and blogger from Glasgow, living under an assumed identity and eating cat-food as the donations dry up.
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