Deila confirms McGeady interest
The Everton winger seems certain to be on the move this month after failing to make an league appearance for Roberto Martinez’s side.
Martin O’Neill has already gone public about the 29-year-old needing to get first team football if he is to force his way into Ireland’s Euro 2016 side.
All of the circumstances point towards a loan deal to Celtic suiting all parties but as ever wages will be the major obstacle in striking a deal between both clubs and the player.
“It has to be players who want to come to Glasgow and play for Celtic – like Carlton Cole,” Deila explained about his transfer policy. “He went down a lot in salary. We would not be able to pay the salary that the likes of McGeady are on. The difference is so unbelievably big that’s there is no chance. The wage structure would be broken 10 times if we did that!
“When you get someone and then they leave in the summer it becomes a tough situation afterwards. Sometimes you can do it. If you feel you can build a relationship with the player during the time he’s on loan then maybe you can keep him longer.
“Maybe with players like McGeady, who has been here before, when he reaches the end of his career he’ll want to come back again. That’s possible, of course but I haven’t talked with him about that, although these types of names we are talking about.
“I don’t know what Dermot (Desmond) did before you’d need to talk with him about that but we’d need to have the opportunity to buy him. That’s an important thing for us.”
McGeady is likely to have other Premier League options to consider with Everton looking for a permanent deal rather than a loan.
While a permanent deal would appeal to McGeady a loan move to Celtic would guarantee first team football, the opportunity to play his way back into Martin O’Neill’s plans and also put him in the shop window for a move after Euro 2016.