It’s a good thing Mark Lawwell has spent a decade around the edge of Celtic’s transfer dealings and a good bit longer watching his old man hammering the phones and pacing the floors over signings.
There will be no nasty surprises for the incoming recruitment chief in the next few weeks and he’ll know exactly the remit when it comes to the Hoops talent search.
Celtic need to sign Champions League players with an English Championship budget.
Best of luck.
It’s something a lot of folk don’t get, when it comes to Celtic and Rangers.
These are clubs who are expected to make an impact in Europe, but there’s not much notice paid to the logistics.
What Rangers did in reaching the Europa League Final was beyond belief. Honestly, it was off the chart what the Ibrox club managed.
Rangers have a budget on a par with Cardiff City. You wouldn’t expect the Welsh club to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup never mind the final of a European trophy.
Celtic’s wage bill is a tad higher but it’s still barely on a par with the clubs who would be fighting to get in to the Championship play-offs.
We’re hearing a lot in the last few weeks with folk suggesting Ange Postecoglou’s men need to make an impression on the Champions League.
An impression?
Chuck midtable second tier mob West Brom in to the pot four and see how far their £60m wage bill – which is far more than Celtic’s – and see how what kind of impression they would make.
Probably one of a clown car with the wheels falling off.
Yet Celtic will get slaughtered if they get scudded around the place when they get there in September.
Rangers will get the same if they can come through the treacherous qualifiers to join the big boys.
The Ibrox side have shown there can be times when money isn’t everything – but it’s rare.
Cash is still king, and that’s what makes it so tough for these two clubs when it comes to the summer signing scramble.
The Old Firm have to get creative, because they have little choice.
The average wage in the English Championship is now £35,000 a week. The average.
Top earners are now pocketing 60, 70 and 80 grand a week in the old second division.
Celtic and Rangers will be mixing in the same transfer markets as this lot but that’s where both clubs have been genius in recent years.
Gers landing the likes of John Lundstam, Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos for shrapnel was stunning business.
Calvin Bassey is another, even if the mind boggles what Brendan Rodgers was thinking letting him leave Leicester City when he seems to have a bunch of centre halves like drunk guys on the dodge’ems.
Meanwhile Celtic snapping up Kyogo, Gio Giakoumakis, Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda and Josip Juranovic for less than the cash banked for Jeremie Frimpong was tremendous wheeling and dealing.
Both clubs will need to be at it again in the next few weeks and that’s where Mark Lawwell and Ross Wilson will earn their corn, along with the managers.
They’ll need to be master salesmen and show targets that while there may be more dough on the table at a Bournemouth or Bristol City, they would be far better in the long run heading to Glasgow.
Show them the passion, the packed stands, the European nights, the trophy success.
Roll out the list of star turns who have looked the part in Scotland and then make the jump to the English Premier League, the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kieran Tierney and Stuart Armstrong.
Celtic and Rangers have something to offer more than money – which is maybe just as well for Lawwell and Wilson as they get to work.
