Well that didn’t take long did it?
Oh it’s easy to say that we’ve all been waiting for months for signs of life, but you have to give the manager and the CEO credit for moving fast. These guys have been the co-authors of New Celtic since midnight and already the first signing of the window is in the building.
I have a piece to put up later about Charlie Wyke and my hope that the deal for him can be concluded in spite of Griffiths signing a one-year extension, but obviously this now becomes the story of the day.
If Celtic’s grasp of PR is as up to snuff as it has been of late, we’ll announce the Wyke deal is done tomorrow and the deal for the Croatian on Monday.
For now, we’ve signed a player who has one and a half seasons in the English second tier, a league of immeasurably higher standard than we have here in Scotland.
He has played less than 30 career games but the scouting has clearly been done, and yes we’re buying potential to an extent but also a player more proven, and at a better standard, than some punt.
Think on this; we were linked with the likes of Declan Gallagher not that long ago. This is a step up from that level and no mistake. He is said to be strong, physically imposing and good in the air.
Good in the air. Jesus. We have lacked that for a long time now.
Agne was effusive about him, as you’d expect from a guy who’s signing he just sanctioned.
“He’s just beginning his football career but he shows all the attributes on and off the field to want to become a top player, so it’s great to get him here,” he said.
So it’s clear he knows all about this guy and gave it the green light.
“He can play a couple of positions at the back and, most importantly, he’s really keen to learn and develop and I think this will be a great environment for him.
“He’s a modern defender. He’s good athletically, he’s mobile, he’s quick and he wants to get on the ball. He can play a couple of different positions, and from our perspective, and the way we want to play our football, there are certain things I look for in players irrespective of age, and he’s got some really good attributes to be a top defender.”
Things I look for irrespective of age.
This guy isn’t a project. Agne has criteria and this guy ticks the boxes for him.
Crucial to all this is this part about playing different positions; the big guy is comfortable playing at right back as well as in the middle.
Comfortable. Which is good enough for me for the moment.
We are going to have to sign a number of guys who are versatile like this, but above all this is a defender, not some converted midfielder being pushed out of his natural role and his comfort zone.
The manager deserves credit, but the real prize goes to Dominic McKay who’s completed his first bit of transfer business on his first day in the job.
You cannot ask for a better start than that (except that he completes his second bit of business on his second day!)
We might finally have the makings of a guy upper management team here folks, people who know what they want to get done and get it done swiftly.
The pace at Celtic just went up a notch.
The whole club should get a lift from this.