Well, tonight, on what has definitely not been a slow news day, the club has announced the signing of Adam Idah on a five-year deal.
I think every single Celtic fan will join me in applauding this signing and congratulating the club for finally getting off their backside and making it happen.
Yes, it probably cost us more than we wanted to pay, and yes, it certainly took longer than we would have liked.
But the deal is done, the man is back, and the boss has the player he wanted.
The timing of the signing, even considering the many delays, is actually pretty close to perfect.
If your club is going to break its transfer record, do it for a player who’s already helped win you a double.
And on the same day your biggest rivals crash out of Europe’s top competition, earning you an extra £4 million that can go toward the transfer fee.
In a very real sense, they have paid the extra cash that got this deal over the line.
Under normal circumstances, you might want to say thanks to someone who did that for you. But I’ll spare them that, and I’ll spare myself any yucky feelings that might arise from doing something that would feel that strange.
Instead, I just want to focus on the player himself and what he brings to the club.
The manager is absolutely thrilled that this deal is over the line. Here’s what he said about Idah tonight:
“He is a player who has already given us so much, performing fantastically for us on loan and really delivering for the club and our fans last season. He played a pivotal role in our success last year, and I know he can be hugely important for us again. Adam has fantastic attributes, and he is a dynamic, hungry, committed player who can make a real difference.”
This is why I had a good feeling about Idah when we first signed him. The big guy clearly ticks the pace and power boxes that Brendan Rodgers identified as critical to what he wanted to do with the team. There was never any question that Rodgers would want to bring him back, especially after that cup-winning goal.
Idah, as I’ve said before, is proof that the Rodgers system works.
Giving a manager unfettered control over who comes into the team works.
Brendan Rodgers knew what a player with those attributes could do within his system.
That’s why he wanted him, and that’s why we spent so much to bring him back. This guy almost hit double digits in terms of goals in a very short time here. And many of those goals were crucial. It takes a player of uncommon composure to score a late goal at Ibrox and then another one at Hampden in a final. So, while he’s young and relatively raw, this club is getting a player who can be around for years—and he’s already made his mark.
I’m really excited about this transfer because you can tell that Idah has a lot to learn, but he already possesses the qualities to be a top player, especially in this team. This is a big, big night for Celtic, and a significant one for the rebuild the manager is trying to do. We are finally close to where we were at the end of the last campaign.
And although we all expect to lose Matt O’Riley before this window shuts, his departure will ensure that the money is there for the next step and for a good replacement signing. I hope the search for that player is already well underway.
We still need signings in a couple of other positions, including a young striker to act as a backup. But for the first time in this window, the club has shown serious intent and a serious commitment to backing the boss—and that’s encouraging, however late in the day.
Over the next two weeks, we have to go further, move faster, push harder, and make sure we are significantly stronger when the window shuts than we were when it opened.
But all of us are entitled to feel a heck of a lot better now that we have Idah back because this window wouldn’t have seemed complete—no matter what else we did—unless that deal was done.
So congratulations, Celtic.
Congratulations, Brendan.
And congratulations, Adam Idah. Welcome home, big man.
An audio version of this can be found at the below link
Here we go again with yhe daily sevco trying to polish a turd.
Apparently the battle of Britain is through the Europa league with sevco possibly meeting up with Spurs and Man Utd.
And here was me thinking the battle of Britain would be between the champions of each country in the champions league.
No doubt the next bit of FAKE NEWS out of the daily sevco will be that sevco will earn more from Celtic in Europe this season.
It’ll be The Battle of Britain all right if they have the red (white and blue) neck to cross the Manchester metropolitan city border…
They are utterly hated in that city – And with good bloody reason too !
Great to see the big man back and of course on a permanent contract. Welcome home. Btw I simply don’t buy into the theory that we’re weaker without Oh , just lower on numbers. Time to move onto the next targets, for me that has to be a CB and LB. I think a DCM would be great too but perhaps if we do get those minimal two or three signings the best news would be big Matt and Hatate seeing that we do mean business and deciding to commit for one more year at least.
@ birdman. Agree with that and ah think it’s what every Celtic supporters hopin for. If all that materialised, I’d definitely be lookin forward tae Europe again.
It should have been done in June, however today of all days it is a masterstroke in Celtic subtly flexing our muscles!
Boot. On. Throat.
Now apply the pressure Celtic
Welcome back Adam. To those who say we overpaid, think for a minute. Norwich had Adam signed up with four years remaining on his contract. Norwich are not in any financial difficulties, so don’t have to sell. Hence they held out for top dollar. Indeed, they might not have sold him had Adam himself not demonstrated that he wanted to come to Celtic. Hopefully, if we are going to sell Matt O’Riley in this window, we learn from Norwich and continue to hold out for top dollar. Even more hopefully, some of that top dollar might be invested in a quality replacement.
It’s nice to think that sevco’s incompetence part-funded the purchase of Adam. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he repeats his cup final scoring exploits next month when sevco come visiting.
Hold out for top dollar for Matt – A very good point indeed Jimmy R !
I bumped into Idah at the ‘World of Golf’ a few days before the Kilmarnock game where he was exceptional
Could not believe the size of him
What a unit
Exactly what is needed
Aye – He has arrived and with 17 days of the window to go as well…
I wasn’t quite ‘bedwetting’ But it was getting slightly squeaky bum time regarding Adam so well done Mr Nicholson and Mr Lawwell on opening the purse strings and spending ‘our’ money and welcome to your Paradise Found Adam…
Brendan has got the next player that he wants –
Now for more of the same in the said 17 final days of the window…
And I might just open ma own purse strings on some very nice it has to be said merchandise !
The timing hasn’t gone unnoticed either so again well done to Micheal and Peter…
Tonight certainly ain’t a night for using phrases like Poker Pete and Lord Lucan –
Credit where it’s due – Well done gents – Now for more !!!!!
Yes, congratulations to everyone concerned, we have a new hero in the making one who loves the Club and will give his absolute all to the Celtic cause. All’s well that ends well, It took a long time to get the deal done, but it was undoubtedly worth the wait.
We need more for CL. A young striker , a team ready LB. And a versatile CB. Ccv needs a boot up the hinend
I’d rename this piece ” Running to stand still” James.
While I applaud the signing and welcome Adam back for his “real” stint in the hoops, we are as you so often have pointed out over the last six weeks James, no further forward.
In fact possibly weaker than we were by the end of this month.
And by the way readers and fellow supporters, this is as good as it gets. And by that I mean this will be our only big summer signing with a couple of last minute loan deals to finish off the summer. Enjoy!!
Celtic have finally got their man, it took them long enough but it’s now a done deal. The 9 million plus that they have shelled out for this guy is not a lot of money for a striker these days but we don’t have monies available to us they way that lot over the border have. But still I wonder for the money paid, is it a Gamble!?!? It doesn’t make him a great player because he scored against Old Firm FC in the cup final. Georgios Giamaukas was a similar player only better in my eyes and all he wanted was a game but Postecoglou wouldn’t play him so he left. Aberdeen have just sold their striker Bojan Miovski who wouldn’t have cost that amount of money either and scored more than twice the goals he’s scored in a struggling team, in my eyes I think he’s better than Idah. Only time will tell if it was worth spending all this money on this guy. I hope I’m wrong