Michael Nicholson ignored the last ditch pleas of Brendan Rodgers to sign a striker, instead he delivered another trading profit from the January transfer window.
The sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton in August ensured a transfer surplus to add to the £77m in the bank at the end of June, with that in mind the Celtic CEO repeated the trick over the January transfer window despite having an extra three days to strengthen the Celtic squad.
Kyogo Furuhashi and Alexandro Bernabei were sold for a combined £15m with just under £10m spent on signing Jota from Rennes.
Adding a further glow to the finances Barcelona recalled Alex Valle while Stephen Welsh, Luis Palma and Odin Thiago Holm went out on loan with the last two part of the disastrous summer 2023 intake masterminded by Mark Lawwell.
Rodgers overcame seven horrendous signings from the Chairman’s son to deliver the double of SPFL title and Scottish Cup, this season he secured the League Cup, has a double digit lead in the SPFL and took Celtic into the lucrative Round of 16 Play Off in the Champions League.
Next week Bayern Munich will become the fifth Champions League opponents to visit Celtic Park with gate money of around £3m generated plus a hospitality bonanza.
Rodgers and his squad have generated the profits but a basic request to strengthen the squad from the manager was completely ignored by the CEO in order to ensure a profit.
The day before the Transfer Window closed Rodgers told The Herald:
My feeling was always once Kyogo was gone, was to have someone else to come in. I don’t know exactly where it’s at at this moment, but I’d be hopeful that we can do that.
But the demand is still there to improve the squad. We have to make sure that there’s constant improvement. That’s been clear. I don’t need to fall out with anyone over it.
The January 2025 failings are similar to those of a year ago, soon afterwards Mark Lawwell decided to move on to fresh challenges although a new job has still to be announced.
Chairman Daddy used the 2023 Interim Report to explain the failings of the club to invest in the only area that matters, the playing squad.
Peter said:
The Board recognises the inherent inefficiencies of holding excess cash, and, in conjunction with other cash commitments, the importance of investing in strengthening the team to deliver football success. The Board shares the frustrations of the supporters regarding the less than anticipated activity in the recent transfer window.
Those inherent inefficiencies have been repeated, the squad is short of a striker and specialist left-back despite going into the window in as strong a position as could be imagined.
Clearly the CEO has no ambition of causing an upset against Bayern Munich and is prepared to hoover up the remaining monies from the Champions League and exit the competition with a whimper.
A win over Dundee on Wednesday will put Celtic 13 points clear in the SPFL with 13 matches left to play, their nearest challengers were only able to add Raphael Fernandes on loan from Lille during the Transfer Window.
Rodgers is expected to win the title, has a better than 50-50 chance of retaining the Scottish Cup to ensure a summer of executive self-congratulations.
August brings jeopardy in the shape of Champions League qualifiers. Celtic will go into the Play Off round with the victors gaining access to a likely £40m pay day from at least four home matches in the group stage. Their opponents will be well prepared and motivated.
Going into those matches with Adam Idah as the only striker would be another high risk strategy, on previous experiences no significant spending will be authorised until the final days of the summer window IF qualification to the group stage is ensured.
This January Window was Nicholson’s fourth as CEO, in his first Ange Postecoglou and Frank Trimboli held his hand through the signings of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley with three of them involved in the January 26 win away to Hearts.
Nicholson knows how to do the job, for his own reasons it seems that the extent of his ambitions is to stay just ahead of his Sydney Super Cup business partners no matter how dire things get at Ibrox.
Should Michael Nicholson lead Celtic's Summer 2025 Transfer Window business?
Yes, he has priceless experience, the only man for the job
No, never again, his failings are piling higher and higher
Really don’t think Nicholson has anything to do with it. Is he a decoy CEO for Mr Lawell to avoid flak
Who is surprised…??…Certainly not me…It was obvious from the start of the transfer window that next to nothing would happen…and so its proved to be…In fact I’ll go further and say its been a shambles and an embarrassment…But the faithful through and through brigade will continue to pour their money into the Club…while batting their gums on line…Sorry..but..KERCHING…is king.
Meant to ask Editor..Why is Nicholson allowed to vote in your poll..??
Like always where is the invisible man (Desmond)when needed on the golf course they’re all as one another liars all if I was Rodgers I’d be outta there quick fire ABSOLUTE DISGRACE
You do have to wonder about BR’s attitude to this…Check out the final words in his statement…He’s not going to fall out with anyone about this…!!!…I’d be feckin’ raging.
To be honest I cannot see BR extending his stay with us, I’m sure the board will welcome yet another yes man into the managers seat with false promises , again this tells you that PL and his cohorts do not plan to keep Scotlands shame at arms length , they want them strong so he can forge ahead with the European league dream that they desire, with the bonuses that goes with it … joke
Window closed 10-13 pts in lge still in Scot’s cup and Europe. And 1 cup in bag. Time to just get on with it. In Jan it’s like panic buy at navids. U could end up with butter beans rubber gloves or pineapplade.