CELTIC REDZIC, GHEDJEMIS LINKS CONFIRMED: BUT ARE WE SIGNING ONE OR BOTH OF THEM?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
It’s amazing how quickly a rather innocuous comment can suddenly set the mainstream media ablaze, especially when it comes from Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill.
After a topsy-turvy but ultimately triumphant performance against Utrecht last night, the manager was once again quizzed not about the win, or the performance of his current playing squad. He was asked, yet again about what additions he will be making to it as the transfer window enters its final few days.
The names Damis Redzic and Fares Ghedjemis have emerged as two strongly fancied transfer targets for Celtic. However, both are wingers, so press speculation suggests we will only sign one of them, with most of them putting their money on the cheaper and more readily available Ghedjemis.
Several reports today cite Martin O’Neill’s post-match comments last night as verification of their theory that Celtic can’t sign both players, despite our obvious need for reinforcements on both flanks.
However, having looked, and looked again at what Martin O’Neill actually said, I don’t see this as a binary “one or the other” situation.
Who Goes to Celtic: Redzic. Ghedjemis or Both?
I often remarked, albeit sarcastically, about the amazing regularity with which, when it comes to covering Celtic, the likes of the Daily Record and The S*n possess an amazing propensity for “putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 1690.” In other words, they’ll do whatever it takes to put a negative spin on any story, comment or rumor they hear about Celtic.
Such was the case with Martin O’Neill’s comments last night.
Let’s look at the actual exchange he had with a journalist regarding this topic last night, in full, unfiltered detail:
Here’s what was said:
Journalist: “I am going to throw a couple of names at you. You are heavily linked with a couple of wingers. Ghedjemis, playing in Italy in Serie B. And Redzic.”
O’Neill: “I will tell you, you wouldn’t be a million miles away.
Journalist: “Confidence. Percentage-wise?”
O’Neill: “Percentage? I don’t know about percentage.”
Journalist 2: “Martin, they are both wingers. Would it be one or the other? Not both.”
O’Neill: “It could be.”
Journalist 2: “Are you more hopeful than you were yesterday?”
O’Neill: “Actually, I think I am.”
Journalist 2: “There has been progress today?”
O’Neill: “There is progress today on certain things, yes. Sorry, I don’t want to be that cryptic. I would hate to say something is certain, and then it falls away.”
As was reported earlier this week over at Born Celtic, a source I place far greater trust in than the likes of the Record or The S*n, Martin O’Neill has maintained a sense of public positivity in the face of Celtic’s relative transfer inactivity so far this month. However, in the background he has been very forceful in pressing home the point that most fans will agree with. We aren’t going to win the league if we don’t refresh and reinforce this current squad before the window shuts.
So, I offer a different take on O’Neill’s conversation with journalists last night.
When asked if it would be one or not the other he simply said “it could be...”
It kind of reminds me of how a particularly sarcastic drinking buddy of mine likes to react when I ask him: "Do you want a whisky or a vodka?"
“Yes” is usually his simple response.
O’Neill was being non-committal. He’s let it be known that Celtic are interested in both players by not shutting down the speculation immediately.
However, not ruling either of them out isn’t just the right thing to do diplomatically, if indeed negotiations with both players are ongoing, it’s also an excellent way to manage fan expectation.
I have reason to believe, based on the murmurings I’ve been hearing in the background that Celtic want to sign both players. Martin O’Neill has identified both players as ones who would enhance our current first team squad.
However, he’s played the mainstream press like a fiddle here. If either player comes in, then O’Neill was right to say “You wouldn’t be a million miles” away when the journalist speculatively threw out both names.
However, if we can get both, then it looks like a managerial masterstroke, in direct contrast to the chaos being portrayed in the media at the moment with regards to Celtic’s recruitment drive.
So which one comes to Celtic: Redzic or Ghedjemis? I honestly think we could see both paraded at Celtic Park over the next few days.
Watch this space.