Celtic fear being left behind English Championship clubs in transfer market

Celtic are struggling to compete with English Championship clubs in the transfer market and deal with agents, according to minutes of a meeting between board members and supporters.

Celtic have only signed one player this summer, Colombian striker Camilo Duran, who is the first proven forward they have bought since main goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi departed for Rennes 18 months ago.

The club’s ongoing difficulties in signing players led to major tensions with former manager Brendan Rodgers and stoked divisions with fans last season.

Celtic chairman Brian Wilson (L) and Chief Executive Officer Michael Nicholson. | SNS Group

Chairman Brian Wilson, chief executive Michael Nicholson and manager Martin O’Neill recently attended the annual general meeting of the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs in Cork, where they took part in a brief question and answer session with supporters.

Minutes of the meeting have emerged online and state that O’Neill told the Celtic board that he was in “major need of signings” as his squad was not strong enough to compete despite their double-winning “heroics” of last term.

The club delegation were asked why the club were “so slow” in signing players.

The minutes state that Nicholson “advised of the difficulty in dealing with agents, competing with the Premier League and even the Championship”.

He added in the July 4 meeting that they were working on signing out-of-contract players.

Celtic have since re-signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following his short-term deal last season but there is no sign of an extended deal for Kelechi Iheanacho, whose goals off the bench proved crucial in the latter stages of the season.

O’Neill apparently stated that the focus was on finding younger players who could be developed, given difficulties in attracting experienced players to Glasgow because of the financial gap with the Premier League.

The minutes state that O’Neill suggested younger players would come to Celtic for the chance to play in European football and have drive and ambition ahead of focusing on wages.

The document adds that the board had recently signed off on a long-term strategy, the goals of which Nicholson described as being the best club in Scotland, being financially sound and competing in Europe.

Celtic host Middlesbrough in a pre-season friendly on Saturday with a number of supporters’ groups calling on fans to boycott the match amid their ongoing demands for change in the boardroom.