Celtic could make as much as £25 – £30 million on outgoings this summer. Are the board now playing their usual waiting game until that happens?

So, it seems inevitable that Nicolas Kuhn and Celtic will part ways before this summer’s transfer window has concluded.

With Red Bull Leipzig leading the interest in the German winger, along with Newcastle United, now Serie A side Como 1907 has also entered the fray.

Last summer, we knew pretty much that Matt O’Riley was going to be the big summer departure.

This summer, you get that very same feeling when it comes to Nicolas Kuhn.

The initial derisory asking price of £15 million being bandied about seems to have changed somewhat.

But not much.

German online sports site, DerWesten, claims that Celtic are holding out for £17 million for Kuhn.

Still, in my estimation, way less than he’s worth.

The fact that other clubs like Newcastle and Como are interested, could spark a bidding war.

Which is exactly, I’m sure, what the Celtic board is hoping for.

In some ways, this summer is taking on the exact same format as last summer.

Up to this point, we had spent just £1 million on the recruitment of Viljami Sinisalo, along with the free transfer of Kaspar Schmeichel.

Thus far, we have spent £1.7 million on Benjamin Nygren, with the arrival of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer.

Granted, Tierney is a big name, but it doesn’t change the fact that our spending has been minimal up to this point.

There is one fundamental difference between this summer and last summer though, and that is the added peril provided by a Champions League qualifier.

Which leads you to the conclusion that there should be a bit more urgency about this summer’s transfer window?

Well, you’d have thought so anyway.

Chris Sutton thinks so too, and as usual this morning, he didn’t hold back in his article in the Record.

The headline speaks for itself:

I know Celtic’s transfer market strategy but it leaves Brendan Rodgers in the pressure pot again

But what exactly is the strategy?

Is there, in fact, any real strategy at all?

It seems to me that the same strategy is adhered to every summer.

If you could call it a strategy.

Sell a big name player, along with a few other player sales, then give those funds to the manager to re-invest in the squad, whilst ensuring a zero net spend.

But preferably also ensuring a modest profit is achieved.

The problem this summer is that we don’t have the time for that kind of fannying around.

The Champions League qualifier is enforcing an urgency upon us that it appears only the manager seems to get.

Now, when you consider we made the guts of £40 million out of last season’s Champions League participation, you would think the board would be champing at the bit to ensure access to that kind of finance again this season?

Wouldn’t you?

I will never profess to try and understand how our board thinks.

Because much of what they do makes no sense to me.

But what is it that drives them to insist on making money before we spend any of note in a transfer window?

They are businessmen, and surely they understand the concept of speculate to accumulate?

The board needs to take a calculated risk in this transfer window.

They need to give Brendan Rodgers what he needs to help ensure we are in the Champions League again this season.

Sending him into that qualifier inadequately prepared for it just isn’t acceptable.

They say lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but in this case, it very well could.

And by that I mean we could be entering into a Champions League qualifier woefully underprepared.

Just as we did against AEK Athens 7 years ago.

We don’t have a back up for Kieran Tierney as a result of Greg Taylor’s departure.

We’re aware that Tierney is injury prone, so why is this not being addressed?

If Nicolas Kuhn is sold, is Benjamin Nygren to be considered his replacement?

By all accounts, Nygren looks like a pretty shrewd acquisition, but is he ready for the demands he’ll face at Celtic?

It’s clear we need at least four quality wingers at our disposal.

As discussed on the Trinity Tims podcast, we cannot rely on Yang to be part of that team of wingers.

We still need another striker.

Callum Osmand is clearly not the answer, and if the board allows Johnny Kenny to depart on foot of the offer coming in from Bolton Wanderers, we will be down to one recognised striker.

Robbie Copeland has been painting our transfer business as positive in the Record this morning.

I would beg to differ on that score.

Chris Sutton believes that there will be plenty of work going on in the background?

Well, that work would want to translate into signings pretty soon.

Don’t get me started on the manager’s contract situation either.

Because that has a huge part to play in all of this as well.

We deserve to know if Rodgers is committing to the club or seeing out his contract before the season commences.

Simply because we know that transfer policy will be dictated by this.

The early signs aren’t promising.

That needs to change pretty quickly to instill the confidence in us that joined up thinking is actually something that happens at Celtic.

Otherwise things could turn very sour, very fast.

We don’t want a repeat of the summer of 2018.

Let’s ensure that doesn’t happen.