O'Neill optimistic of £15m transfer kitty
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill today expressed cautious optimism at the possibility of being handed a near £15m (€21m) to spend on new players during the summer.
The board are said to be examining ways to finance a significant summer overhaul of the playing squad with several of his highest-earning players set to depart.
O’Neill has – at the board’s request – compiled a list of signing targets he would like to see pursued.
And, while the Celtic boss remains unsure about the likely size of his summer transfer kitty, he admits that he has been buoyed by suggestions that major shareholder Dermot Desmond is preparing to underwrite an issue of preference shares which could boost the club’s finances by around £15m.
O’Neill told www.celticfc.net: “Any injection of money made towards strengthening the team would be very welcome indeed.
“It would be an enormous boost to us all, in fact, and while I’ll only find out in due course if that is indeed the case, looking in from outside the signs appear to auger well.
“It all sounds very encouraging at the moment but I suppose we’ll all just have to wait and see on that one.”
O’Neill is still expecting big things next season from younger members of his squad like Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney, David Marshall and Craig Beattie, who hit the winner at Tynecastle on Sunday.
The Celtic manager claims that the pressure to win games at the club is as intense as anywhere in the world.
And hopes this season’s nail-biting championship race will help them complete the transition from young hopefuls to players he can depend upon.
O’Neill said: “This kind of experience is fantastic for the young lads – in fact, it’s absolutely invaluable in my opinion.
“These games show the likes of Beattie, Wallace, Maloney and McGeady exactly what it takes to be a player for Celtic, where the pressure to win football matches is probably as intense as anywhere in football.
“It’s an education for them, and it’s one that a great number of players will go through their entire careers without experiencing.
“With these lads, the key for me is that they’re no longer ‘ones for the future’ – players for four or five years down the line. They’re ready to make that step-up now.
“Beattie’s showing that he’s ready to be a big player for us, McGeady has already shown that, and I’ve no doubts that the likes of Wallace will follow sooner rather than later.”
