Champions League means Lennon able to lure top foreign players

The Parkhead manager was pleased with a late flurry in the transfer window which saw them sign Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose, Tunisian forward Lassad Nouioui, Venezuelan striker Nicolas “Miku” Fedor and Slovakian goalkeeper Lubos Kamenar – the latter two on loan.

Those signings all came in the wake of the Scottish champions’ victory over Helsingborgs, which took them into the group stages of the Champions League. Celtic now face matches home and away against three other former winners of the trophy – Barcelona, Benfica and Ajax – and Lennon said such glamorous games were a key factor in bringing big names to the club.

“The value these guys get from being here is the Champions League,” he said. “Without Rangers being here [in the SPL] the carrot is that you come to Celtic to play Champions League football.

“They are going to do that and are going to experience something that will be very, very special – something that other clubs in the Premier League can’t give them. Something like 80 per cent of the clubs down there can’t give them Champions League football – but thankfully we have been able to provide that this year.”

Lennon appeared particularly excited about the capture of Miku, who joined from Spanish club Getafe. “I’ve been really impressed from just speaking to him. He looks like a very good professional.

“The boys up at Lennoxtown were really impressed with his attitude. He was in on Sunday and looks like he is just a total professional in everything he does. He is a family guy, he sets his diet out and everything is planned out for him.

“In football terms he is a very good player. A good footballer and will complement [Gary] Hooper very well.

“He is probably not a big name here but at Getafe he scored 14 goals last year in La Liga. For us to get a player like that we would normally have to pay £4-5million.

“So to get him on loan is a great bit of business and I know there were other clubs very interested in him. It was a coup for us – and now I just hope we can hit the ground running.”

The signing of Lassad has been hit by controversy, as another Spanish club, Levante, held a press conference on Monday to complain that he had agreed to sign for them. Levante are contemplating legal action against both the player and an agent they say was involved in negotiations with them, although it was noticeable that they did not suggest Celtic had done anything wrong.

“We did everything by the book,” Lennon said. “Whether another agent got involved and was telling Levante one thing and telling the player another I don’t know. But speaking to the boy yesterday it never came up in conversation.

“We will support the boy either way. I think the agent has caused all the problems here. The agent being named I’ve never heard of and certainly wasn’t involved in any of our dealings with Lassad.”

Getting into the group stages has also helped give Celtic the financial leeway to start negotiations on new contracts with several players. “There will be three or four we will be looking to give new improved contracts. to just reward them for their efforts,” Lennon added. “Gary and Victor [Wanyama] would come into that category.

“We are already talking to Thomas Rogne. It’s ongoing with him – he has a year left on his contract and he is a player who has done great for me. There are a couple of other ones in the pot as well who deserve it.”

Lennon was speaking at the launch of “Pedal For Petrov”, a cycle ride by two members of the Aston Villa staff which aims to raise £250,000 for a leukaemia charity. Villa masseurs Alex Butler and Andy Smith, who

set off on their journey from Celtic Park yesterday morning, plan to raise the sum for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in support of their club captain, Stiliyan Petrov.

The former Celtic midfielder was diagnosed with leukaemia in March, and has put his football career on hold while he has treatment. He is currently in remission, but is due to undergo a course of chemotherapy over the coming weeks.

Butler and Smith will ride 400 miles in five days, visiting several other clubs en route to Villa Park. “We’ve grown to know and love Stiliyan,” Butler said. “We miss him in our little bat cave and we, like so many others, want him back as soon as possible.”

Work permitting, Lennon may get on a bike himself and accompany Smith and Butler on their trip, which will also visit Newcastle United, Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United. “The guys invited me to do a leg, which I will think about over the weekend,” he said. “It is great what the two boys are doing. [Petrov] is a strong boy and strong character and handling it very well.”a