Ange Postecoglou hasn’t ruled out Christopher Jullien leaving Celtic despite a move to Schalke falling through.
The French defender jetted out to Germany for talks with the Bundesliga club last week, but a deal collapsed after the player failed to agree personal terms with Die Konigsblauen. Jullien returned to Glasgow and is with Celtic on their pre-season tour of Austria and the Czech Republic, netting in the 7-0 friendly win over SC Wiener Viktoria.
Carl Starfelt has since picked up an injury, so cover is required in the centre of defence alongside Cameron carter-Vickers as the Hoops gear up to try and retain their Scottish Premiership title this season. However, Postecoglou insists Starfelt’s injury hasn't changed anything in regards to Jullien, with his manager stressing that future plans can change quickly. “Not really, everyone’s future is the same and is unknown,” he said. "None of us have any certainty about what we do.
"Chris and the other lads are training with us and while that happens, I treat them as one of our players. If that changes in the future, it changes. But in terms of what we're trying to do and planning for, we’re still looking to bring in two or three players and strengthen up a couple of areas. We’ll do that.
“Those are questions you need to ask him. I don’t speak on behalf of Chris and I'd hate to think that he’d want me to. The mood between me and him is the same as between me and Callum (McGregor). There’s no difference. He’s a player of Celtic, I’m the manager and that doesn't change.
“I was in a similar situation last year. We had a few players - Ryan Christie, Odsonne (Edouard), Kristoffer Ajer - if you speak to them I don’t think they’d say I treated them differently than anyone else.”
Albian Ajeti is another who has been tipped to head for the Parkhead exit door. The Swiss striker finds himself being Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda in the strikers pecking order.
He’s another who featured in the friendly hammering earlier this week. Ajeti played regularly under Postecoglou during last year’s pre-season campaign, and was even handed the captain’s armband against Sheffield Wednesday for the Aussie’s first match in charge.
But no talks have taken place with the striker regarding his immediate future: “Again, that’s not stuff I really think about,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports. “They’re here, they’re training and getting an opportunity. Players need to make their own decisions about their future. They know what they want to do and we’ll give them their best opportunities. Those aren’t discussions I have with the players unless they come and seek them. Right now, what’s important is that we're preparing for another big season and that’s where our focus is.”
Permanent deals for loan stars Carter-Vickers and Jota have been signed and sealed, but Postecoglou admitted he would have signed the pair regardless of how they performed last season. He added: “It's not just about retaining them because they had good seasons last year. If they were available, I’d sign them anyway. They’re players I know will improve and have got their best years ahead of them. The added bonus is that we already know what they’re like as people and they fit well with the culture of the group we have.”
Compared to this time last year, Celtic are in a far better place as they approach the big kick-off. Rather than scrambling for signings after being appointed late in the summer, Postecoglou is enjoying a more settled preparation, and explained why he felt it was important to bring Harry Kewell onto his coaching staff.
“It’s fair to say there’s been a fair bit of change,” he said. “I guess from our perspective we’re just a lot more settled for a couple of reasons. One is there hasn’t been any major changes in the squad and we don't have any qualifiers, so we know when our first game is. It just gave us a chance to be in a good place and be well planned.
“He (Harry Kewell) brings energy and enthusiasm. I’m always conscious of making sure that every year, we bring a freshness to everything we do, particularly with the players. He had a successful season last year but we know we have to go up a level this year. If players come in and see no change, I don’t think it sends the right message. Harry’s had a crack at being a manager and he wants to carve out a career for himself.”
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