An insight into what it’s like working on transfer business at Celtic and how agents manipulate their dealings with the club in order to push up the cash available elsewhere, creating bidding wars to squeeze bigger wages from clubs in England…
The former Celtic Assistant manager explained what it’s like operating at a club like Celtic during the transfer window.
“Say we’re looking for an energetic midfield player that can support and play alongside Callum McGregor. We’re looking all over Europe, in the leagues where they can afford it. You’re not looking at English Premier League because you can’t afford them,” Collins began.
“So your Scandinavians, that’s a good market for Spanish, Portuguese, lower teams. You’ll draw up your list of five players. Number one – he’s the best.
“You go for number one, first thing you contact the agents. ‘Did you watch him?’ Yes. ‘Does he want to come?’ Yes. ‘What’s his wages?’ Right, okay, we can pay him that. ‘How much is the club wanting for him?’ £3m? Okay, the club can afford that.
“You go for him, the agents say he’s keen, he’s coming. The next thing the agent’s all over England saying Celtic are coming in for him.
“The next thing he’s away to Germany, he’s away to England. You spend a month on that, you’ve watched him three times, you went to Holland – boom, played like a fiddle. You’ve lost your number one.
“On to number two, on to number three. So the players that come in are usually not the ones at the top of their list,” Collins explained.
And he reckons that there’s a way to counter-act this, perhaps advice that Michael Nicholson could benefit from listening to.
“So that’s how it works. It’s the same for every club, it’s not just Celtic,” Collins said. “But what happens is the agents use Celtic, and often do, to get more money, more transfer fee. So you’ve got to move quickly.
“My theory is you’ve got to move quick and give ultimatums to agents and players. Here’s the offer, it’s 24 hours, come back and say yes or no, that’s how that would work out. So you’re not using this to go elsewhere.”
Interest stuff from John Collins who would be a decent candidate for the Director of Football role that the club needs urgently to fill.
*John Collins was promoting Premier Sports’ coverage of Scottish football including over 80 matches from the Scottish Premiership, Premier Sports Cup and Scottish Cup. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code FITBA26.
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