Michael Nicholson’s position at Celtic is now untenable. He called free agents the easier business. Celtic then failed to secure two players Martin O’Neill wanted.
At a recent meeting with an Irish Celtic Supporters Club, Nicholson was asked why transfer business was moving slowly this summer.
The Celtic CEO cited agents, competition from the Premier League and Championship, and media coverage he believed would present the club negatively.
Nicholson described out-of-contract players as easier signings while Martin O’Neill warned that his Double-winning squad required major reinforcements.
And after Kelechi Iheanacho secured a new club and Marcelo Saracchi said his goodbyes to Celtic fans, two players O’Neill wanted, those two failures have turned Nicholson’s own explanation against him. His position at Celtic is now impossible to defend
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Kelechi Iheanacho exposes Celtic’s transfer failure
Celtic signed Iheanacho on a one-year deal with an option for another season. The club allowed that control to expire before O’Neill confirmed he wanted the striker back.
Iheanacho was an easy signing for Celtic to make. They knew the player, knew O’Neill wanted him and still watched the free agent sign for Bursaspor.
The Nigerian even made it clear at the end of the Scottish Cup final he wanted to stay at Celtic.
To lose Iheanacho to a Turkish second-tier club after Nicholson presented free agents as the straightforward part of the market is indefensible.
Celtic turned an extension decision they controlled into a negotiation they lost.
Marcelo Saracchi leaves Celtic with nowhere to hide
Saracchi’s farewell made Nicholson’s position at Celtic even worse. The defender said he and his agent had done everything within their power to make a Glasgow return happen.
Taking to Instagram, Saracchi said goodbye to Celtic fans with this message, “I’m writing this to say goodbye. We had an intense, beautiful year together where we achieved so many of our goals.
“My agent and I did absolutely everything within our power to make a return to Glasgow happen.
I’m truly gutted that I won’t be able to continue at the club at this stage of my career.
However, I know our paths will cross again in the future. I wish you all nothing but the best for what’s ahead.
“Thank you for everything.”
O’Neill had already confirmed he wanted Saracchi and Celtic had spoken to his representative. Celtic fans will wonder how the club failed to secure a player so obviously desperate to return to the club for a fee that would not break the bank.
Celtic knew Saracchi wanted to return to Glasgow and this should have been one of Celtic’s simplest deals of the summer. Nicholson still failed to complete it.
Michael Nicholson’s Celtic position is now untenable
Nicholson cannot blame the market every time Celtic fail. Agents and competition are the job, and that is what the club pay him handsomely to deal with.
Agents and rival clubs are not excuses. Nicholson is paid to beat them to players. Instead, he surrendered control of Iheanacho, failed to return Saracchi and left O’Neill without players he requested.
Nicholson has run out of credible excuses. Celtic need a chief executive who gets deals done and answers for it when he fails.
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