Brendan Rodgers has ruled out making a move for Yaya Toure.
All that it took at the start of the week was a Greek website mentioning Celtic after the midfielder left Olympiakos to spark off a round of speculation.
A link to Celtic through his brother, Kolo, added a grain of credibility to the rumour which was followed up by a ‘Come and Get Me’ plea on Sky Sports coverage of Manchester City’s win over Wolves.
Signing a very expensive 35-year-old flies in the face of Celtic’s business model with Rodgers putting the idea to bed yesterday.
“We hope to do some more business if we can but there’s nothing to add to the speculation,” the Celtic boss told the Evening Times. “Ya Ya Toure? Well, his brother’s here but he’s not one we’re looking at.”
Scott McTominay and James McCarthy have both been linked with loan moves to Celtic despite midfield appearing to be an area that the club has well covered.
Responding to those names Rodgers added: “Scott McTominay is a talented young player but there’s nothing to add to that and the same goes for James McCarthy. Agents will strategically throw out a name to stick in the papers but then I’ll get a call from them asking me if I’m interested in the player because they read that I was; you know the game.”
New bhoys Oliver Burke and Timo Weah are expected to be involved in Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against Airdrie United/Clydebank but Vakoun Issouf Bayo has still to receive his work permit and is behind his new team-mates in terms of training.
