Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be on the lookout for new signings this summer to build on his successful campaign back at Parkhead.
The Bhoys are in a reality where they need to scour the market for untapped talent that can be brought in and sold down the line for significant profit, adhering to the model adopted by club chiefs in recent years.
Of course, there is also value to be had by bringing experience into the fold where necessary, as seen in Joe Hart’s successful three years at Celtic after joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021.
However, there are fewer examples than ever before of the reigning Scottish Premiership champions shopping in the English top flight.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was also acquired from the Lilywhites; however, he was farmed out on loan seven times before finding a permanent home in Glasgow.
Financially, it is becoming harder for Celtic to compete with Premier League sides despite their standing respective to some in the footballing world, something that Chris Sutton has dropped his verdict on.
Chris Sutton on Celtic signing players from the Premier League
Speaking on The Monday Night Club, Sutton spoke to Marc Chapman, Izzy Christiansen and Rory Smith about the financial reality of Celtic buying players from the Premier League, citing the divergences in wage structure between the Hoops and clubs in England alongside the risks associated with big-money transfers.
He explained: “Celtic may have to splash out, they might not like doing it but that’s I think with the nature of the game at this moment in time, they may have to pay that, but the model is the model, they’re not going to change that.
“Getting in experienced Premier League players like they did back in the day when I was there, those days have long gone, so there’s always a massive element of risk when you’re signing players at Celtic and at Rangers. The landscape has changed, and they just have to get used to it. It is what it is, but the biggest issue up there is the expectation levels.”
Sutton later added when Chapman asked if Celtic can compete in the field of free transfers or cheaper deals, citing Hart’s arrival as an example.
The ex-England international replied: “I think that’s where the difficulty lies, you mention wages, I think that Joe Hart, it seemed to me from the outside that Joe Hart really wanted to move to Celtic and play and finish his career there, but in terms of wage structure and what have you, I think it would be a problem.
“Players going up, especially younger players going up on a free. Celtic and Rangers cannot compete with bang-average English Premier League teams in terms of wage structure, even the teams at the bottom in truth, and that’s their dilemma.”
Celtic live in a different stratosphere from Premier League riches
Celtic aren’t able to operate within the same financial parameters as many Premier League clubs. Very few clubs worldwide can, apart from a select few scattered across Europe’s top five leagues.
Undoubtedly, this factors into the profile of players the Hoops target every transfer window, and the club need to consider every arrival with a prudent eye.
Nevertheless, there are other ways to find good value for money in the market; however, Sutton makes some valid points about Celtic’s capability compared to other English top-flight sides and where they stand when trying to recruit from south of the border.