Ange Postecoglou insists the Celtic board will back his big plans to bring Champions League class players into Parkhead.
The Hoops gaffer is looking to ramp up the club’s transfer strategy in a bid to become serious competitors in the Champions League on a regular basis. Postecoglou, who was named Glens Premiership Manager of the Month, admitted after the defeat to Real Madrid he is prepared to sell some of his current stars to fund his aggressive expansion plans.
And Parkhead powerbrokers are on board with his vision. Postecoglou said: “I’m not disheartened by anything I’ve seen so far, or seen that we can’t go this way. I think we can do it this way and make up ground. I’m haven’t had any frustration or sense there wasn’t any alignment. I’ve had full support along the way. I’ll keep doing it until someone taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘that’s enough’.
"I’m obsessed with success. I’ve had success at every club I’ve been at because I haven’t limited what that looks like.
“I see no reason why this club can’t compete in the Champions League regularly. There’s obviously a massive gap to the big clubs but there’s nothing to suggest we can’t be a strong club at that level. There’s nothing written anywhere that says, ‘this is your limit’.”
Celtic’s plan over the years has been to buy cheap, polish up and then punt at a profit. Postecoglou won’t rip up the strategy but his target is to bring in a higher level of player – and sell on for even more.
That means landing players who are ready-made for the Champions League. Postecoglou said: “Potentially, if we get to those levels financially, why not? I think the core is that we will always look at a certain demographic and what I mean by that is that we will always go for the younger scale because that is part of the model that we need to create.
“But there are younger players who have had Champions League experience. You look at that Shakhtar team and the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk - they are young but they have already had two or three years of Champions League experience. That is obviously beyond the financial levels we are at but there could be clubs where we could look at younger players who have Champions League experience.”
When asked if that meant rather than buying a £2m player and selling for £10m, he wants to buy for £5m and then £10m and flog for £20m or £20m. He said: “That is the way to go. I think that is how you get yourself up that ladder.
“That must still be underpinned with good decisions because whether you spend £1, £5m, £20m or £50m or £100m, if you are getting it wrong then you are getting it wrong. For me that is the most important bit.
"What I hope I have proven over the last 12 to 18 months is that for the most part all the players we have brought in, irrespective of the levels, have made an impact. There is a trust from the club that whatever the spend is going to be, provided we go through a similar process, that if we get it right then we should be getting really good players.”
Postecoglou hammered home the importance of players being sold to fund the dream – and warned fans not to get too attached to their heroes. The Aussie – who will have Cameron Carter-Vickers back to face Dundee United – said: “If you compare us to similar-sized clubs in Europe, they are very aggressive with their trading. You have to be take opportunities.
“If that means players moving on, you are a more comfortable with it if you have the solution before it happens. It becomes part of the process of bridging the financial gap that exists with other clubs.
"It can be a little bit unsettling at times, especially for supporters if their favourite players don’t stay here for six, seven, eight, nine years. If we’re going to continue to improve, we need to be able to think that way and make sure we take up opportunities when they come along.”
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