Celtic manager Neil Lennon has admitted the club may have sold wantaway players during the summer transfer window had ten-in-a-row not been on the line.
The Bhoys boss has already talked about how Olivier Ntcham and Jeremie Frimpong had requested moves away from the club prior to their departures.
Lennon has made it clear that a number of first-team players have had their heads turned by moves to more glamorous leagues around Europe.
It inevitably leads to the question – why haven’t the club let them go sooner? Surely making a profit on their sale is better than having disruptive influences in the dressing room?
The Celtic manager recognises the argument but feels the club took the decision they did because of what was at stake this season.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland last night (20:40), Lennon said: “If we had done that in a season as significant as this there would’ve been uproar.
“We felt continuity was the best way forward. If it had have been a different season, we might have taken another view on it.”
He was then asked by the BBC reporter whether or not he can win the players who want away back round.
Lennon replied: “It’s about how much they want to be here.
“A lot of them have reached the top of the mountain but they stop becoming mountaineers and start becoming mountain observers. They see a Ligue 1 mountain over there or a Premier League mountain over there and they fancy that.
“We’ve had a batch of players who for one reason or another feel that it’s best for their career to progress somewhere else.”
Celtic gamble on wantaway players hasn’t paid off
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it’s fair to say Celtic got their judgment of this situation wrong.
Perhaps letting go some senior players go and blooding in others such as Ismaila Soro and David Turnbull earlier would have been more effective.
Yes, there would have been fan uproar. I don’t think anyone can deny that. However, if the club knew that certain players were making mischief behind the scenes then action should have been taken.
By letting the situation fester, Celtic have spiralled out of control.
We now haven’t achieved ten-in-a-row and have a number of players approaching the end of their contracts that will likely be sold for smaller fees in the summer.
If players don’t want to star for Celtic and don’t have the professionalism to push through that unhappiness, they shouldn’t be at Celtic Park.
If this situation has been ongoing since before Ferencvaros, it’s some pretty shambolic asset management from the decision-makers at Celtic.
In other news, Neil Lennon is hoping Jonjoe Kenny enjoys himself at Celtic and wants to stay beyond this season.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
