GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Rangers manager Philippe Clement during a William Hill Premiership match between Rangers and Dundee United at Ibrox Stadium on November 23, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Phil Clement has admitted that he didn’t have the funds to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window.
Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille was the only arrival with the defender for emergency use only with less than 20 senior appearances on his CV.
A year ago Clement was able to bring in Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves before the transfer window opened with Mohamed Diomande signed on loan with an obligation to spend £4m on the winger at the end of the season.
Austerity arrived with the appointment of Paddy Stewart as CEO, rather than throwing money at attempts to catch Celtic every effort is being made towards getting the club towards break-even point.
Lyall Cameron of Dundee was signed on a pre-contract deal from Dundee, a Compensation Fee of around £400,000 will have to be paid in the summer but there wasn’t enough funds to push the transfer through four months earlier.
It will take two more years to flush out the big salaries handed out by Micky Beale but next season will see the end of the deals on Ben Davies, James Tavernier, Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell.
Until then Clement will have to make do with scraps, loans and project signings dressed up as a change in direction.
Discussion about the transfer window was kept till the final question in today’s media conference.
Philippe, given that the window is now closed, how well equipped do you think your squad is to compete in the second half of the season?
We as a club wanted more. We talked about that at the end. We didn’t achieve all the goals that we wanted, and now it’s about with the squad going full for everything we want, and that’s to win every game.
That stays the ambition. It’s a really high ambition, I know. But it’s my ambition also, in every club that I am in, and to keep on developing this group and to make it better. Maybe because we missed something in the transfer window, it will give an opportunity for somebody else to blossom. It can be.
Maybe we lose a little bit more time than we expected on the trajectory that we wanted to make with the squad. It’s about getting the maximum out of the group and to focus on that. That’s what I’m going to do.
After that answer the next question moved swiftly on to discussing the Scottish Cup!
(Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Says everything about the shite standards of “journalism” in the mainstream media that, even when presented with an open goal of an answer like that, not one of them even attempted to probe further. Cowardice? Corruption? Both? I think we know….
And yet still two Celtic supporters on my street will be buying The Scummy’s tomorrow and helping them along on life support !
Just for the pundit’s benefit. I think that you play alongside your teammates. You don’t actually play WITH them! Lost in translation, maybe!
Maybe now the bears understand that this underwhelming transfer window
is going to be repeated a fair few times – and until at least the higher wage
earners have all departed ibrox.
The occasional, decent player – on loan – is all that the new CEO will sanction?
[And not forgetting even more, cheap ‘development fee’ signings.]
🙂
I believe the tribute act spent more on the ladies team in the transfer window !!!!!!!
HH