Celtic Transfers Summer 2010

Pretty apt sponsor for GCFC :lol:

Does this mean that Tennents will be sponsoring Rangers too?

Yes, Tennent’s are sponsoring them too. The co-sponsorship thing grinds my gears also.

Diomansy Kamara has been offered a 3-year deal by Paris St Germain according to reports. I don’t think he’s what we need (a striker who doesn’t score enough goals and spends a lot of time drifting out wide - see Samaras and Fortuné) so I’m not bothered if we don’t pursue a permanent deal for him.

Christ the new strip is terrible. Memories of USA 94

Craig Bellamy might be coming home. :clap: :clap: :clap:

Please God make this happen.

From The Guardian:

Celtic join Spurs in race to sign Craig Bellamy

Ewan Murray

guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 May 2010 21.00 BST

Craig Bellamy is a player who Neil Lennon believes could revive falling attendances at Celtic Park. Photograph: Stephen Pond/Empics Sport

Celtic are set to challenge Tottenham for the signature of Craig Bellamy after the club’s manager-in-waiting, Neil Lennon, identified the Welshman as the high-profile signing needed to boost his side.

Lennon and his representatives held talks with Celtic officials today as confirmation that the 38-year-old will permanently replace Tony Mowbray moved closer. That will be forthcoming this week — probably on Thursday or Friday – with ambitious transfer plans a key part of Lennon’s pitch for the job.

Bellamy was Lennon’s team-mate during a profitable loan spell at Celtic in 2005. The 30-year-old is keen to leave Manchester City, with any aspirations of a move to his hometown club, Cardiff City, ruined by their failure to reach the Premier League.

Spurs would find it far easier to even come close to Bellamy’s salary of about £90,000 a week, with the London club also able to tempt the striker with Champions League football. Yet Lennon made it publicly clear that he believed Robbie Keane, who earned £68,000 a week during a loan deal at Celtic last season, was within the club’s budget had the Irishman been keen to move north permanently. Lennon is set to adopt the same bullish stance when attempting to persuade his board of directors to move for Bellamy.

Sources close to Lennon have stressed he wants experienced, British-based players to boost Celtic’s fortunes both at home and abroad. After home crowds at Parkhead dropped at an alarming rate towards the end of last season, Lennon made it clear he wanted big-name signings to tempt supporters back.

Sol Campbell has already held talks regarding the proposal of a two-year contract at Celtic, Jimmy Bullard could be the subject of a loan move from Hull City and Stoke City’s £2.5m-rated Liam Lawrence is also a target for the club. Lennon’s pursuit of Joe Ledley, who could move to Scotland without a fee being due to Cardiff City, could be ruined by the fact that several top-flight English sides are also chasing the midfielder.However, Aiden McGeady – courted by Birmingham City – and Artur Boruc, the club’s highest earner, could be going in the opposite direction. Today’s discussions between Lennon and Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, centred around the potential of a senior figure working above or alongside the Northern Irishman in what would be his first management post.

Lennon admitted last week he could be agreeable to such a scenario but would want to choose the identity of that person himself. More immediately another two former team-mates of Lennon, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker, are expected to be added to his coaching staff alongside Johan Mjallby.

Lennon’s contract is likely to be either a one-year rolling deal or two years with a further one-year option. Celtic are still to reach a seven-figure compensation agreement with Mowbray and his coaching team, who were sacked in March but remain officially on gardening leave.

Everything else in it is as I said a couple of weeks ago in relation to Lennon’s appointment, Thommo and Parker coming on board and so on.

Lennon’s going to be announced as manager this week; possibly as early as tomorrow.

Celtic have joined European giants Roma in the race to sign out of contract Cardiff City midfielder, Joe Ledley. Ah lovely.

Lots of stuff happening and time to round it all up back in the main summer transfer thread:

  • The BBC website is reporting that Celtic have bid Stg£1.5m for the outstanding Ireland international midfielder, Liam Lawrence. BBC Radio Scotland have just announced hat Stoke City have turned down the offer and are holding out for £2m; it’s the opening flurry of negotiations, I imagine.

  • Joe Ledley is still expected to sign on a Bosman.

  • The club remain confident that Sol Campbell will join on a 2-year deal and Jimmy Bullard will be taken on a season long loan.

  • Lee Naylor has left the club; we have no left back in the first team squad now that Braafheid’s contract expired.

  • Boruc and McGeady are expected to leave; Boruc has already said his goodbyes and it looks like Zaluska will be given the #1 keeper role. We’ll be in the market for a cheap, reliable back up.

  • McGeady is interesting Spurs and Birmingham are still chasing him.

  • We’re talking to the magnificent Craig Bellamy.

  • Samaras is being offered around Europe, Kamara is expected to join PSG and we’re still debating whether to take up to option to sign Nguemo permanently.

  • McManus will be let go if we receive a decent offer for him.

  • Lennon will be announced as manager, with Mjallby now staying on as his assistant after turning down the AIK Stockholm job. Garry Parker will be first team coach and Alan Thompson will be reserve team manager. The Board initially wanted an experienced old hand as part of the management team but Lennon wasn’t comfortable with the names being bandied about and he’s convinced the Board to go with the above.

Thanks for the summary Bandage. I’ve taken the liberty of responding to each bullet point with my opinion.

I’m not too keen on Bullard but I’d certainly welcome Sol Campbell. If Davie Weir can stroll the SPL…

Mark Wilson has another year left, as far as I know. Last thing we need is him (a.) playing regularly at all or (b.) being pitched into the right footed, left back role.

Agreed on all the rest bar I wouldn’t be displeased if Nguemo pissed off - his display against Ross County before he was hooked after 40 minutes was pitiful.

Not sure about Parker - it seems like a collection of old colleagues/mates that have all been doing coaching badges together.

Yeah I’m not too keen on the mates club side of things but you’d hope they’d be professional enough and ambitious enough to not let their judgement get clouded by personal friendships.

I don’t think N’Guemo is anything like the finished article but he was probably our best midfielder last season. He’s not terribly expensive so I’d keep him for effort and for continuity’s sake. And in fairness to him he played well when he had a competent partner more often that not.

That’s like saying Glancy Carrick is the best half back in Leitrim - it doesn’t alter the fact he’s shite.

That’s a fair point. But if I could keep (or sign) him or Brown I’d take Landry.

Wikipedia tells me that Garry Parker has one game under his belt in his managerial career which was a 6-0 loss to Leeds when caretaker manager of Leicester. He is currently employed as a painter/decorator so may require a hefty fee to get him out of his contract.

Liam Lawrence has pleaded with Stoke not to price him out of a move to Celtic.

Midfielder Lawrence believes he has no longer has a future with the Potters and is desperate to join the Hoops this summer.

Celtic have reportedly bid £1.5million for the 28-year-old, who said in the Stoke Sentinel: 'Celtic are a massive club and I just hope Stoke and Celtic can come to an amicable agreement for me.

‘I hope I don’t get priced out of a move. If Stoke are looking for £2million, that sounds about right - and will be a good deal because I only cost £500,000.’

'My agent says there could be another couple of clubs interested, but I’ve said to him I’d love to go to Celtic because I don’t think there’s a bigger club for me.

‘I know Celtic haven’t had the best of seasons, but if they can bring in a few players, then I’m sure we can try to and turn things round up there.’

Lawrence revealed he had discussed the prospect of joining Celtic with Republic of Ireland team-mate Robbie Keane, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Parkhead.

Lawrence said: 'Keano says it’s an absolutely massive club with unbelievable support, stadium and training ground. He rates it as one of the biggest clubs in Britain and I’m very excited about the prospect.

'I’d love playing in front of 60,000 fans; it’s already something I’ve done and enjoyed with Ireland and Stoke this season.

‘Playing in the Champions League would also be something special. But I think qualifying starts when I’m supposed to be on holiday, so I don’t think the missus will be too happy.’

McGeady leaving would be a particularly big blow though could perfectly understand it if he was looking to move on. Heard quotes from him talking about pre season though so find it a little surprising.

Liam Lawrence referring to Celtic as ‘we’ in his quotes above. He also said he would walk to Celtic Park to sign for us. :clap:

Spartak Moscow have bid in the region of £9m GBP for the bhoy McGeady

He’s worth whatever Fabregas goes for so I’d hold firm for the moment.

Lennon will drive him there himself for that money I’d say.

No, he wouldn’t - that’s way too long a drive to even consider undertaking.