Celtic are ramping up activity, but the bungling over Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi still feels like unfinished business to many supporters. But these non-deals are all about perception. The reality is they were PR gaffes rather than transfer failings.
Saracchi's fitness record a concern
It might sound harsh, but Celtic should not have been pursuing either of them in the first place. In Saracchi's case, they actually weren't pursuing him after all. A tentative inquiry about another loan move got bounced by Boca Juniors and that was that.
Fans are furious, but they are ignoring some of the facts. Saracchi was a decent wee player but he's played 90 minutes less than 10 times in three years. He managed it just three times last season and missed a large chunk of the season through injury. Sure, he was handy when available, but there's no guarantee when that will be.
Celtic need a reliable backup for Kieran Tierney— a guy who can share the load, not a player they can't hang their hat on from one week to the next. Another loan move would have been low risk, but handing out a three or four year contract to a 28-year-old with a ropy fitness record? Nah.
Iheanacho's wage demands scuppered deal
Likewise for Iheanacho. The bid to bring back the striker was an absolute mess. No argument about it. But, again, it was more about narrative.
Iheanacho was a panic buy after the window shut last September after Adam Idah was allowed to go and the move for Kasper Dolberg collapsed. The Nigerian was on a tasty wage with an option for another year. Was he worth keeping on that salary? Absolutely not. Yes, he turned up towards the end of the season and scored some important goals.
But the rest of the campaign can't be dismissed. Iheanacho missed two long spells through injury and even when he got back, he was sauntering through training and couldn't get near Martin O'Neill's side until it was clear the loan forwards who came in were not up to snuff. He's another one who has barely managed a handful of full games in three or four years and any time he started he looked like he was just back from a fortnight's all inclusive after about half an hour.
The big man has the touch of an angel but it's not much use on a treatment table. It made sense to let the option run down and then see if they could bring him back on the cheap as a nice option as a third choice front man. When he thought he had Celtic over a barrel and asked for a hefty pay hike, rather than a cut, that was that.
Pressure mounts on recruitment
All of that should have been spelled out though. Iheanacho should have been told the deal and given a few days to think about it and if he didn't like it and couldn't report back for day one of pre-season then wish him all the best for his future endeavours. Letting it rumble on and having O'Neill talking about getting him back was just bad optics. The pair of them were not really worth the hassle.
And it wouldn't have even been an issue if Celtic had moved quickly to bring in reinforcements. Things will gather speed now but it's already worryingly late for a lot of fans, with the new season just over a week away and the Champions League qualifier in less than a month. New players need to come in and find their feet as well as a new house.
The Iheanacho and Saracchi deals have only added to the pressure on the Parkhead suits to get the fingers out and give the manager half a chance of success. The picture will look a lot different if the likes of Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan get nudged over the line in the coming days – but that's just the start of the work required.
Daizen Maeda's departure might be expected but it's still a major blow. Celtic are not just losing a talisman. Maeda is the Hoops' best striker and winger, so they will need TWO men to replace him. Camilo Duran might be one of them but O'Neill desperately requires at least another striker and a couple of wide men right now, as well as midfield muscle, a goalkeeper and a left back.
The heat around Alistair Johnston is only going to intensify as well. It shouldn't be a surprise if big bids come in. Celtic need to be ready to hit the button on replacement, looking around corners rather than acting like clubs are jumping out the bushes to kidnap their star men. And they could really do with some quick PR wins to get punters to dial down the anger levels.
