“Asset stripping or investing loadsa cash?” While Celtic get busy in the transfer window, “top striker” Dessers is on his way out of Ibrox
Eric Knott 
Well, with five weeks to go before their Champions League qualifier at Ibrox, it looks like Russell Martin is going to be told players will need to be sold before any are bought in.
It appears that the Americans have run the rule over what they they consider to be of value in the current Ibrox squad.
And they believe that Cyriel Dessers is worth £5 million.
A nice chunk of cash if you can get it.
Especially at Ibrox.
Last season, they made a vast fortune – worth £810,000 in total – by selling five players.
It looks like they could make six times that amount on one player if they can land £5 million for Cyriel Dessers.
An amazing achievement under the circumstances, taking into consideration Dessers is 30 years old.
Which begs the question, though, are the Americans going to invest loadsa money?
Or are they going to asset strip the Ibrox first team squad before they invest a single penny in it?
Just last week, the Daily Record were hyping up Hamza Igamane, as is their wont.
Telling us that the whole of the EPL were after him, along with half of the French League as well.
Popular guy, and worth a cool £13 mill as well.
Apparently.
So, I guess if that’s the case, the Americans will snap up that kind of money.
It would appear that jolly scouser, Kevin Thelwell, has been given the remit of emulating Celtic’s player trading model in the space of one summer.
Except there’s only one problem with that.
The Ibrox side has may maybe three to four saleable assets.
The rest of what makes up their squad is run of the mill dreck.
If they sell their saleable assets, namely Dessers, Diomande, Raskin, and Igamane, where does that leave them in five weeks time?
Even if they did manage to get players in, none of them would be sufficiently bedded in for their crucial Champions League qualifier.
There is talk in the Record this evening that they’ve “won the race” to sign Kwame Poku from Peterborough United.
As usual, Celtic were involved in the “race” as well.
But we know that this is always the case when the Ibrox side is chasing a player.
This is just so they can say that Celtic “lost the race”.
And the Ibrox side were a more “attractive” proposition for Poku.
What’s actually clear here is that the Ibrox side are on the look out for players they can snap up for free.
Poku is out of contract now with Peterborough, so he’s available to them on a free transfer.
Free transfers, and bargain basement buys.
All while the Americans asset strip what value is available at the club.
I’d wager that if Dessers goes this week, you’ll soon see bids in for Diomande.
The big spending yanks are going to spend alright.
But not in the way they’re expecting over there.
Any spending will be only be done once asset stripping has been completed.
It’s clear that Russell Martin has been told this is the way it will go.
That’s why his title is Head Coach.
He’ll work with the tools he’s given.
But that will be dictated solely by Kevin Thelwell.
Meanwhile, Celtic are starting to get busy in the early stages of this summer window.
If there is going to be a threat coming from Ibrox, they seem to want to get out ahead of it.
It appears as if Lawwell – and his glove puppet Silent Mike – don’t want to be caught with their pants down.
I think they understand the kind of reaction they’d get from the support if they were.
Maybe, just maybe, the board are taking the threat from Ibrox seriously.
In addition to reacting to the manager’s wishes.
Strange, but positive times at Celtic….
huns fuming last night as it’s rumoured dessers went for £2m to get him off the wagebill
I wouldn’t even say they got that for him
A distressed club taken over by a group of wide boys , says it really every year since their birth they have made increasing losses that’s why they were taken over by this new mob , they will want their investment back ASAP , don’t think they will much money into subsidies for this lose making machine so the future looks bleak for them , a case of austerity all round and slowly try to turn it round . As long as celtic keep Brendan happy and make the investments in the squad that he wants then nothing else matters
That skint club the Glasgow 13rs are still hemorrhaging money and are still shopping at Poundland for players. It’s just been sold for £1 just like the oldco were earlier. The 49rs will asset strip and then sell up their penny shares. Tesco waiting in the wings!!
Set your watch by it Eric
Undisclosed fee
The usual message boys in the Record etc have carte blanche to make up the fee
They start firing out articles just totally making up figures starting at something like £5m+
Then the fee goes up by a million then another million
I don’t really mind the Rags over inflating the dosh that Sevco bring in on these ‘undisclosed’ sales. When the huns factor in this assumed mega bucks income and see the paucity of the dross brought into the Klub, freedom of contract, lower EFL rejects and SPFL discards turning oot fir thu only klub they ever wonted tae play fir, the peepo will be apoplectic with rage and begin to perceive the dismal future ahead for them under the Delaware Consortium. The Season Ticket money is in the bank and under the New Management’s control. Harsh times ahead fir Billy. Ice cream and jelly on repeat for us.