Another Transfer Blunder Looms: Celtic's Pursuit of Profit Over Progress
Celtic's board continue their intent on prioritising financial gains over on-field success, leaving many fans to question their true ambition for the club.
The whispers among Celtic fans are growing louder, a familiar murmur of discontent is rising among the supporters, not towards the players on the pitch, but towards the board that seem to be playing the same tired, old tune, where ambition takes a backseat to accounting, and the promise of European progress is sacrificed in the pursuit of profit margins.
The latest screw-up from the Celtic board seems to be the ongoing pursuit of striker Mathias Kvistgaarden, Brøndby’s prized asset, who we have seemingly been courting for the past few transfer windows. From tentative interest to what felt like a genuine pursuit this past January, especially after the departure of Kyogo to Rennes, Kvistgaarden’s name has been consistently linked with a move to Glasgow. Yet, here we are, watching on as French club Lens, a team that finished a modest eighth in Ligue 1 last season, appears poised to secure his signature. The reported fee, a mere €13 million, translates to just £2 million more than the club saw fit to splurge on Adam Idah, a player whose reported £9 million price tag from Norwich has, frankly, felt like a millstone around the player’s neck given his contributions thus far. It is a striking indictment of strategy when a quality long-term target, seemingly within reach, slips through the fingers for a sum that, in the grand scheme of football finance, is far from prohibitive. Is this another John McGinn moment for Peter Lawwell and his cronies?
The narrative is further made worse by the imminent departure of Nicolas Kuhn to Serie A side Como for a reported €19 million - with Benjamin Nygren already brought in as a replacement clearly. While Nygren may be a promising talent, and striker Callum Osmand from Fulham brought in as a project player, the glaring question remains: where is the main striker? Where is the established goal threat to truly replace Kyogo and take this team to the next level? Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah can play up front, certainly, but relying on them as primary, undisputed attacking spearheads for a club with Champions League knock-out aspirations feels, at best, like another hopeful gamble and, at worst, an astonishing lack of foresight once more from the board.
This isn’t simply about individual transfers; it’s about a pattern, a systemic reluctance from the Celtic board to truly build from a position of strength. We’ve witnessed it time and again: a successful season, a lucrative player sale, and then a transfer window that feels more like a financial management exercise than a strategic investment in on-field improvement. Are they genuinely waiting to qualify for the Champions League group stages before loosening the purse strings? This the same dangerous game they’ve played before, risking guaranteed European riches, the prestige of facing Europe’s elite, all to keep their shareholders placated with a healthy bank balance and the recycled buzzwords at every AGM as they blow hot smoke up Dermot Desmond’s arse.
Yes, the club is a business, and fans understand the fundamental need for financial prudence. We all saw the catastrophic consequences of financial mismanagement that led to Rangers 1872’s liquidation. But a business, ultimately, needs its customers. And in football, the fans are the lifeblood, the customers who continually invest their hard-earned money in overpriced merchandise, season tickets with highly inflated prices, and frankly, often substandard food and drink within the stadium confines. If the board continues to take this unwavering loyalty for granted, if they persist in prioritising profit above genuine ambition, they risk seeing those very customers vote with their feet and their wallets - as we did under Ronny Deila and Lennon’s second term.
The passion of the Celtic faithful is undeniable, it is a global fan base. We would support this club no matter where it plays, through thick and thin. But that unwavering dedication does not grant the Celtic board - a board populated by accountants more captivated by zeros in their bank accounts than trophies in the cabinet and quality players entertaining on the pitch - the right to continually disregard the very people who sustain the club and keep them in their expensive club branded suits and offices.
If European success is truly the aim, if there’s a genuine desire to improve upon last season, then it’s time for the board to stand up and be counted. Because the fans do, every single season, despite being treated like an afterthought - until it’s time for season ticket renewal time.