Since the story about our “interest” in Fausto Vera broke, I have been waiting on two things; a confirmed bid from Celtic, or someone at Celtic confirming that we were ready to make one. None of these things has happened.
The Vera story remains something that our media got from somewhere else, and ran as truth although there was nothing in it to suggest that it was. They are now writing stories about what a blow to us it is that the player is linked with a move elsewhere.
Here’s what none of them acknowledges; the likelihood of us moving for him was always low. We may have scouted him, and we may have liked what he saw, but a £6 million plus transfer fee for a young guy yet to really make his name, and from half a world away, can only be regarded as a gigantic risk which I never believed we would take.
When Ange bought four players from Japan, that was not a risk. He knew those guys. Our left back from Argentina cost us half of what Vera would have, and he’s acknowledged to be a little raw yet. The move may or may not work out; Ange and the analytics department will know what they are doing. But £6 million is a lot to take on a punt.
And it’s a lot to spend on a punt in a crucial area where we can’t afford to get it wrong.
The Vicinius deal, I thought was at least realistic because he’s been mixing it up in Europe and the City Group influence made it less chancy. This would be too big a gamble. Just because we’re casting our net wider than ever, it doesn’t mean we’ll do something daft.
The player we sign for this role will most probably have European experience.
He will be tested and battle hardened. It is not the sort of position where you want to sign a project. If we were to spend that kind of money, we’d want to know we had the real deal.
This story emerged from our signing Bernabei. Suddenly, we’re going to be linked to every player in South America who is looking for a club, but not one of the reports on this story even claims that we’ve made a formal move for Vera.
So ignore all talk that we’re set to “lose the battle” or fall short in the race.
You can’t lose a race you never entered, and although this guy might have been on a list of options that £6 million asking price was always a little over the top for an unproven player … and certainly not when he’s just about out of contract.
Celtic will have other, better, options … and we are probably at least part of the way down the road to doing a deal for one of them. This one was largely a media invention, and that’s why I’m not all that worried by news he’s likely to go to Gent.
Think you know what happened last season? Take our quiz and find out!
I doubt if Gent are even involved either as their record incoming transfer fee to date is 5M. Someone somewhere is trying to get shot of Vera and are drumming up fake interest to bolster his value. He is best left alone.
Although they have nothing to do with it, It is very much like an Ibrox ploy.
James, when do Celtic ever come out and admit interest in signing a player? You know fine well that’s not how we do business.
“So ignore all talk that we’re set to “lose the battle” or fall short in the race.”
A better idea would be to ignore every word written on every newspaper football page…
You should just content yourself with the fact that even if we were interested in signing him, and even if he has snubbed us, which we all know he hasn’t, its still closer than Sevco could ever get to signing him as they can’t even look at players with a price tag that high.
Maybe one day the blue fanboys with their crayons might realise that and think twice about writing dross like this.
Good news that we have gotten shot of Bolingolli, he’s off the wage bill and I’m glad to see the back of him.
Time, though that they were signing someone. Celtic should announce at the start of every window to completely ignore the media. A lack of any denial can make it look as if their stories have an element of truth and that is good enough for them to carry on with their lies.if they are lies anyway. At the end of the day though, bad and all as they are, they are the ones who give us the news of new signings. I have never known a blogger to tell us first.
This is just my opinion but I’d say the bloggers are hugely improved. I get that national papers probably have much more agent connections, they have more so called journos on staff, but its actually quite disrespectful that Celtic give first dibs to rags like the daily sevco but don’t pay Celtic Blogs the same respect. What’s that all about?