Lennon prepared to break wage structure
Three days into the transfer window and the hoops boss has been questioned about interest in Steven Fletcher and Leigh Griffiths while loan strikers Tony Watt and Mo Bangura have been arriving and in Watt’s case departing again.
Signing Fletcher would blow apart the current wage structure which is driven by signing emerging young talent rather than tried and tested, and well paid, established players.
When Lennon took over from Tony Mowbray his first moves were to sign David James, Sol Campbell and Jimmy Bullard but after failing to agree terms the Premiership has become a no-go area for the club.
With the manager admitting that his team has become stale expectations are high that fresh faces will arrive despite January traditionally being a quiet time of trading
“It’s important that we spend the money that’s available and get the right quality in,” Lennon explained. “We are no different from any other club. I had a meeting this morning with Peter Lawwell and we worked away at the business we want to do, as best we can.
“People might laugh at this, but I think our squad is thin and I want to add to it in certain areas. There is no question that there will be players leaving and there will be players coming in.
“We are trading as well. I don’t need to sell to do that but ideally you don’t want to clog it up either. The market is difficult but I would say that we’ve got two thirds of it right. We sold a lot of players in the summer and we will sell again eventually.
“We have huge assets in the team – again we haven’t had that for quite a while – but, at the same time, we still want to add to that and what I want is real, genuine quality. And if we have to spend a bit of money, which I think we have got, then we’ll spend it if we can get the right player in.”
The Celtic boss added: “You have to have a list of targets, because eventually you will come to a point when if your first choice isn’t coming, then you look at the next one. You have to have three or four targets for the majority of positions.
“I would say we are looking at three positions to add to. It’s about longer-term planning. There is no point bringing loan signings in now, unless it is a loan with a view to buying the player at the end of it.
“The policy is the same but we may have to break the wage structure eventually. I don’t know if we will in this window or not. I don’t want a huge wage differential with any player coming in. If we have to break the wage structure, it won’t be by much.”