Yesterday I was delighted to post a number of transfer stories, and I had my hopes up that maybe the club was moving even faster than I thought. Today I have to write that two of them have been scorned, one is dragging on and the last is just about done.
Not such a great day rumours wise. Except for the odd one.
The rumour about the winger from Turkey refuses to die.
I thought it was just talk and said so. I didn’t believe it for a minute.
When Lennon denied it yesterday I reckoned that was the last we’d hear about it.
You can’t get much more definitive than the Celtic manager telling you straight that he’s never heard of the guy. Story’s dead, right? Apparently not. This one has a life of its own, and some in the Turkish press are still claiming that it’s on and that the guy is coming over to sign next week.
Odd. I reckon it’s a non-starter … I mean, if it’s not then the club is negotiating a very big transfer without the manager being aware of it. That would be beyond weird and Lennon’s decision to publicly scorch the story doesn’t suggest he fancies it much.
The Aaron Hickey deal is another that was rumoured to be happening and now is said to not be. Let me say just this; that story has changed more times than the Glasgow weather. He was definitely going to Munich. Then he was definitely going to Celtic. This morning he is definitely going to Bologna. That report doesn’t even mention our club as a factor.
The clubs haven’t even talked about a deal, so the reports say. But I’ve read similar reports that suggest neither Bayern Munich nor the Italians have either. The player will decide and the clubs will then sort it out between them, that seems to be the way it’s being done. That doesn’t suggest that we can be counted completely out … but that no longer looks imminent.
Neither does the Duffy deal, which is taking an interminable length of time to be resolved one way or another.
I think our board is waiting until the outcome of the game tonight is known; bear in mind that if we go through we’re one match from being guaranteed the Group stages in either the Europa or the Champions League. That might be the cause of the delay.
Win through, and that deal will be pushed forward full-steam ahead.
Turnbull is as good as done. He’s on the way. He missed training today at Motherwell and the thinking is that he’ll be a Celtic player before the two teams face each other on Sunday. £3 million fee, taking our transfer spending to more than £14 million.
It’s not too shabby, is it? Especially considering that we’ve not sold a top player and we are under absolutely no pressure to do so.
The less pleasing news is that rumours are sweeping Glasgow that we’re going to be without Odsonne Edouard at the start of the match tonight, that he’s due to start on the bench.
I’m writing this because I already know James is going to do his nut all the way if this is another team-sheet leak. Lennon did suggest at the press conference yesterday that a thigh injury was putting the big man’s place in some doubt … it could just be vapours from that comment.
But there’s a specific rumour that suggests we’re starting Ryan Christie up front, which is a gamble and a half if true and an un-necessary one it seems to me if we’ve got two fit strikers in the squad. Lennon will cop an awful lot of flak if this doesn’t pay off … especially as, if the opposition has any sort of intelligence gathering capability at all they could be taking this into account with the kick-off still hours away and planning accordingly.
Not the preparations for this one that we wanted.
Still, we’re on home soil, we have the team to get this job done regardless … and we have to be confident about it.
The Rumour Guy is a Celtic fan and blogger from Glasgow who doesn’t like leaked team sheets …
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