Celtic’s transfer model has served the club extremely well over the past two decades. As well as unearthing gems for the fans to enjoy, Celtic also make millions in profit after selling them on.
It’s a philosophy that has helped Celtic continue to not only be self-sustainable but it has also helped them dominate Scottish football for over 20 years.
And it’s also a model that has been reaping some praise from former Rangers manager, Alex McLeish. McLeish was speaking about the upcoming Scotland fixture and then discussed what his old club need to do to try and catch Celtic.
McLeish said [The Scotsman], “I think the task is bigger now. It doesn’t look as if recruitment has worked. [Ange] Postecoglou [at Celtic two years ago] brought in a formula but he had quick players.
“He signed players who could burst through the backline and, soon enough, you could see what he wanted to do.
“If you compare Rangers’ recruitment to Celtic’s recruitment, it’s not been at the same level. The dynamism isn’t there.”
To do what Celtic are doing just now takes a lot of time, effort and knowledge to pull off. With over 20 years of experience, the scouting department are doing an excellent job at identifying players with a possible huge future in the game.
Yes, Celtic have signed many players that have failed at the club. But in their recent history, there has been more successes than failures.
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Look at Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Alistair Johnston. All three of these players can, and will, go for huge money when the time and the offer is right for them.
O’Riley was the subject of a £10m bid from Leeds United in the summer. And that was before his form improved this season and he signed a five-year deal. How much will he be worth now?
And Reo Hatate. The Japanese midfielder was subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur and could fetch the club millions of pounds when the time comes for him to leave.
The point is, it takes years of effort of building trust, links and a network of connections to help find these players. Rangers still don’t seem to have that. And until they do, they will always be in Celtic’s shadow for years to come.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou now considering signing £25m former Celtic hero for Tottenham