The Record is at it again, printing any negative Celtic story they can find, this one coming from Portugal. Remember what I’ve previously said; every country has its own Keith Jackson and they are no exception.
The claim today, which The Record has gleefully reported, is that Celtic is unlikely to press forward with a deal for him because his salary costs are too high.
According to the Portuguese, he earns £20,000 a week.
This is outright balls. For a start, Celtic would have been well aware of that before he was brought here and before they opened negotiations to buy him. They would have been well aware what his position was on taking a pay cut to come to the SPFL. So whatever has gone wrong it isn’t that.
The number itself appears to be pulled out of thin air.
Benfica do not pay reserve players £20,000 a week. The Portuguese league might have a better TV deal than ours but they aren’t rolling in cash. A young player in the EPL, still playing primarily reserve team football, probably doesn’t earn £20,000 a week.
When we signed Jota, he was earning closer to £5,000.
Anyway, didn’t we read that story before? I’m sure we did.
And that’s because this tall tale is over a fortnight old; it first reared its head on the 17th, then died when more accurate information on his salary came to light, only to be resurrected here again. This feels a lot like what we’ve seen throughout this window; outlets recycling rumours for want of something concrete to write about.
The Record has been doing this for many weeks now.
I am pretty clear on where I am with Bernardo. It we have to pay £6 million for him it will be a lot of time and money invested to basically stand still.
I would welcome the signing at a lower fee, but it’s like anything else.
We’ve got a lot of work to do this summer and if we’re dragging our feet messing about or waiting in hope for something like this or Adam Idah then we’re neglecting the business we should be doing elsewhere, and fans are restless about a lack of progress.
The team will be returning to pre-season training shortly, and then on to the US for the first leg of the pre-season tour.
It would be a travesty – and just like Celtic – to go into those things without fresh faces in the building. Indeed, with Bernardo, Idah and Hart now gone and with Oh halfway out the door the squad is much weaker than it was when the season ended, so really, we need to start getting stuff done a lot more quickly than this.
What happens here is that when there is no news to write the media makes up nonsense, and that nonsense causes fans to get irritated with the club. You either feed the beast or the beast eats you, and that’s been a simple truth for as long as the media has been doing its thing. When you don’t them something to do, this is what they do.
So Celtic, time to get busy and get some real news out there.
Otherwise, this is what we’ll be spending the next few weeks on, and our fans are going to lose their minds long before then. After last summer even the appearance that we’re messing about or dragging our feet is not going to go down well with the supporters … or the manager.
The thing about Sevco is that they are trying to improve with what limited resources they have.
I would have loved to have seen a GB Tifo with Lawwell and the board members wearing Sevco scarves in the final games of last season, demonstrating how many fans see them and in recognition of their continuing support of that club.
How can they call themselves Celtic supporters when all they have ever done is held the club back.
They lie and people like you expose it. Keep shining the light on these liars and enemies of Celtic.
Deceitful scum.
Starting to get the groundhog day feeling again. We’ve already bought our season tickets hoping the board will have learned a lesson after last seasons signing debacle.Or is fucking us over just what this board does now they have our money. Next few weeks will be very telling, but i don’t trust them one bit to not do things on the cheap.
What do we expect from Lawwell and Nicholson. I don’t trust either of them. I can see this window being yet another shambles and if it is woe betide the people responsible. Mind you they will still take their huge undeserved bonuses. I won’t settle until all of the current board have nothing to with the club. I despise them all.
I did not think the board would have the balls to let us down again, but I am beginning to think they will. Rangers are in a mess and our leaders won’t want to win league easily and move far ahead of them. Project stash the cash could be the order of the summer
Hi James
Same old same old Celtic board -complacency and smugness over the chaos over at Paisley Road West-combined false hard headedness over screwing the seller- these are the habits of a lifetime, and whilst it is too early to say that things are not happening – it is 10 days till the teams first game- and 4 weeks since the season ended- and this was exactly where we were last year. The North Macedonian could be bought tomorrow – whereas Idah is more complex -so go for the simpler option. The question who is deciding on what players and when? it is those who actually know and manage the team ie BR or is it the egos in the boardroom?Only 3 managers in the Clubs history told the board and they followed, Stein, O’Neill and Ange. BR should insist or walk
no ones signing international players that are still at euro’s as what happened in tearneys’s case they get injured the big teams start there signings once euro’s are almost over
aswell as fact agents players are also on holidays if they arent at euro’s. just because you havent heard about it doesnt mean there isnt deals in place. only a fool would advertise this info.
Big Joe (super Joe) told us in February he was retiring this summer so just how on earth can Celtic PLC have wasted so much time and have nothing to say on our ‘Keeper situation? It’s a total fucking disgrace though it’s not new. This has ‘Peter Lawwell’ written all over it but is he not supposed to have nothing to do with executive decision-making?
I thought he’d managed to get back in at CP but NOT in an executive position?
FFS, Celtic PLC, announce the arrival of an experienced, successful, Director of Football to work throughout the year identifying what Brendan asks for and helping him if he’s not too sure. Work together towards further success and remember to entertain the supporters as you go, “without them football is nothing”. Scotland showed up what disgraceful, negative, anti-football is all about especially in the 1st half and got the ‘reward’ they deserved by losing the match. PLEASE, no more sideways, backward, negative, possession football, our club is far better than that and our supporters deserve THE BEST.
Hail! Hail! The Glasgow Celtic FC
there appears to be a complete news blackout regarding the ibrox fixtures shambles are the gutl ess mob under orders from hampden and ibrox ?it would not surprise me if the fixtures announcement gets delayed.
Think you’re getting a bit tetchy, James. EURO 2024 has been a huge factor in the inactivity. This will start to change now that a few countries are about to be eliminated. Bernardo, like Jota before him, is entitled to negotiate. Calm down.
If Bernardo showed he was a definite first team starter, he’d be a good buy at £4-5m but I am not convinced he is a first pick.
He may have some learning potential do we need another project? I saw enough in him to suggest he needs a season of first team football then there may be progression but there would be better, more ready to step in options for that money on the current market.
Lazy, Plagiarising journalism rules this country, faker fake news.
Not panicking yet, I’ll give it another 2 or 3 weeks. I can understand why some supporters would panic with the record of Celtic when it comes to last minute and failed deals.
We need around 6 signings at least and I’m including Bernardo and Idah or Miovski in that.
If O’Riley and a few others leave then we may need more than six.
The euros definitely has to be taken into consideration for the lack of movement. I think we will get at least three good (big) names one of which has to be a goal keeper. The board might lack ambition but I’m almost sure that BR doesn’t we have the money and the draw of the champions league. Keep the faith bhoys and ghirls
Signings will be after June the 30th new accountant year.