The vultures are swooping around Nicolas Kühn, but Celtic will face offers for more than just him, and inevitably, the board WILL give in
Eric Knott 
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On our last podcast, James, Joe and I discussed the fact that Daizen Maeda has really put himself in the shop window this season.
YouTube: They re Simply Depressed
Unfortunately for us, it’s not just Daizen who has put himself in the shop window.
I’m beginning to get the feeling that summer window is going to be one that will seriously test our resolve.
Well, I’ll rephrase that, it will seriously test Brendan Rodgers’ patience.
As for the board’s resolve, well, I’ll leave that open for interpretation.
The trappings of a successful season will inevitably attract the attention of clubs south of the border, and elsewhere.
An article in the Record this morning states that Newcastle United are already interested in Nicolas Kühn.
This isn’t exactly surprising considering his performances so far this season for Celtic.
Celtic have stated it will take £20 million+ to prise him away from the club.
That’s pocket change to the likes of Newcastle.
And if a club that has the resources they do is showing interest in a player like Kühn, then the club should be smacking a price of at least £30 million on him.
Because players far inferior to him sell from prices like that down south.
That’s why I don’t believe the report in the Record or the price Celtic have supposedly put on the German winger.
However, this does not change the fact that Kühn is attracting attention this season.
The amount of goals he has scored will ensure that.
On Wednesday night, when Daizen Maeda switched to a central role for Celtic against Bayern Munich, the threat he represented was immediate.
And it wasn’t long before he had the ball in the back of the net.
Next Tuesday night, Maeda will once again put himself in the shop window in Europe’s premier competition.
In our midfield, Arne Engels is already showing what he is going to bring to Celtic.
With a string of man of the match awards, a cool head when it comes to penalties, and an eye for goal too, it’s also only a matter of time before the offers start to come in.
Maybe not this season, but you will see how much better he will be in his second season.
The coming summer window is going to be more about holding onto our key stars, than acquiring new ones.
Because we all know if big offers start coming in for the likes of Kühn and Maeda, the resolve of the board will break pretty quickly once their player valuations are met.
With regard to players coming in, well, based on what we saw in the January window, that’s not something I’d be getting too excited about.
The fact that we’re going to have to play Champions League qualifiers again next summer is just an added worry to this whole scenario.
If Celtic caused a massive upset next Tuesday with Kühn and Maeda talking centre-stage, this will just increase their values further.
I know it’s early days, but I’m already beginning to worry that next summer will be a firesale of all our top assets.
We have to hope that Brendan Rodgers makes his wishes crystal clear with the board.
And that under no circumstances can these players be allowed to leave.
They’ve already pissed him off in the last transfer window, doing it again, well, I think we all know at this point what the end result will be.
We have established that the current format of the Champions League suits us.
It should be our primary aim to get back there again.
But in order to use the experience we’ve gained from this campaign, we need to have the same players with additions to further strengthen us for the next campaign.
Weakening us and bringing in new players, who will need time to bed in, will not be acceptable.
So, if the likes of Newcastle come flashing the cash, we need to resist.
Otherwise we could be heading for the Europa League.
At grab the money in a flash at the figures mentioned. To many times he’s anonymous like Wed. Apart from the first 25 seconds I can’t remember a single ball in the box beating the first defender. Passing team mates in general was poor and you can for get about closing down or winning a tackle.
Don’t be silly if we get any offers over 20 million pounds for any of our players come this summer they will be sold this Celtic fc a business nothing else there to make money .
Forget the amounts offered for a second. Forget the board for a second. The wages that Newcastle and the like offer is way beyond what we can offer. So unless the player is Celtic through and through and happy with £40k+ a month, they’ll be off. There’s nothing Brendan can do about that except have suitable replacements scouted and offers ready to go to replace those lost. Then it’s over to the board to get their finger out. Kühn and Engels disappointed me on Wed night to be honest. Engels had some industry but never really got his head up to be creative or dangerous. For the next £11m signing I’ll be expecting a player of maturity and composure, not the next project. As much as we are gifted domestically for midfield players, without McGregor we’d be far more exploited in Europe. And it’s clear McGregor’s legs are starting to show their age and that’s just reality for a player of his ilk playing week in, week out. He’s still got more of an engine than Hatate though, and that’s concerning. Current scouting, expectant of significant funds being available, has to be robust and future proof as best possible. Consistent CL qualifying and positive results is a double-edged sword. Our best players are in the big window, we have to accept the finances of other clubs – even those with less stature as Celtic. Money talks, as always.
Like this doesn’t happen anywhere else all star players in leagues like ours will be off first sign of a move to a bigger more lucrative league.Its hardly something to put on our board,it’s the way it works
Yeah,I would start to worry if our players were crap like another club in Glasgow.
We invest,we improve them and move them on for profit.
There’s only about half a dozen clubs in the world who don’t have a similar model.
Replacements scouted for,our scouts watch sportscene and MOTD.
The Celtic Model and MO is clear and rigid. Any offers are gratefully received. When, over the last 20 years under the current owner and CEO have Celtic ever turned down an offer for any of their players?
Brendan Rodgers will have his plans disrupted and his team broken up in the summer and will accept it and play out the last year of his contract and Celtic will never attract another Elite Manager as John Kennedy or another Yes Man will be appointed.