Quinn wants Bellamy to stay

14/04/2005 - 18:49:48
Celtic chairman Brian Quinn insists the club will do everything possible to keep Craig Bellamy at the club.

The Wales international has been in inspirational form since joining on loan from Newcastle until the end of the season.

But Celtic Park manager Martin O’Neill has already conceded he is not confident of keeping the 25-year-old in Glasgow after the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final against Dundee United next month.

However, Quinn maintains O’Neill has the full support of the board in his squad strengthening.

In an interview for BBC Radio Scotland’s Sunday Live programme, Quinn said: “If we can afford it, we will make an offer we believe reflects the value of the player.

“It would be a funny chairman and board who didn’t try to do his best to sign him.”

He added: “We have to look at the overall financial picture at the end of the season.

“Last year, our wage bill was £40m (€58.7m), whereas Rangers’ was £30m (€44m).

“There are only five teams with bigger wage bills than that in the English Premiership.

“So you can’t just look at the transfer fee, you have to look at the entire package.

“It’s not true to say that Martin hasn’t had money to spend.

“Sometimes he’s elected to spend that on new players, but, at other times, he has elected to renew the contracts of existing players, so there is a strong commitment to the manager.”