Celtic told they could fall into Rangers transfer trap over 'big name' signing as Ibrox flop provides cautionary tale worth heeding
The Sky Sports pundit and ex Ibrox star reckons Celtic’s pursuit of free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has shades of Ramsey’s move to Rangers
Kris Boyd has warned Celtic they risk falling into the same trap that Rangers did when recruiting a “big name” signing - insisting their move to snap up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has shades of Aaron Ramsey’s short spell at Ibrox.
The former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder is set to undergo a medical in Glasgow this afternoon ahead of finalising a move to the Scottish champions on an initial six-month contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend his stay for a further year.
A Champions League, English Premier League and three-time FA Cup winner, the 32-year-old would bring a wealth of experience to Martin O’Neill’s side in what is seen as a major boost to their Premiership title defence.
Despite his lack of competitive action and injury issues in recent years, the 35-times capped England international could prove a shrewd pick up if managed correctly with his knowledge of high-pressurised situations likely to be vital during the title run-in.
However, Boyd couldn’t help but describe the club’s interest in the free agent as a “desperate” bid to appease supporters.
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Writing in his Scottish Sun column, Boyd said: “All the top clubs in the world use high-tech, state-of-the-art data analysis to sign players. At Celtic, it’s like their transfer policy is scribbled down with a bookies’ pen on the back of a cigarette packet.
“Forget Hearts’ Jamestown Analytics and the like. Scotland’s reigning champions seem to have a systemin place that could be sponsored by Benson and Hedges.
Celtic hierarchy slated for non-existent transfer policy
“If it happens, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may yet turn out to be a great addition to their squad. We’re talking about a Champions League and Premier League winner, after all.
“Someone who has 35 England caps, and at 32 should still have a lot to offer. But how on earth has it come to this?
“I repeat, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a top-class player throughout his career and COULD show he’s still got it in a Celtic jersey between now and the end of the season.
“It reminds me a bit of Aaron Ramsey coming into Rangers in the January of 2022. A guy who’d only started one game for Juventus that season who came to Scotland to get playing again.
Celtic board seek a big-name signing to cover their backs
“But surely the Celtic support had a right to expect a bit of money being spent in January, given the funds there. As it turned out, the club spent more appealing Auston Trusty’s red card against Hearts at Tynecastle than they did on actual transfer fees.
“I just think the men in charge of Celts want a name, someone with a profile, to make it look like they have pushed the boat out. It would only have looked like a bold move if they had signed Oxlade-Chamberlain on January 1, not at the beginning of February.
“Clearly he was waiting on Arsenal offering him a contract, having been training with his old club for long enough. But if he ends up at Celtic it will just underline they don’t really have a proper policy in place.
“They could yet win the title, and they are definitely in a stronger position now than they were less than five weeks ago when Wilfried Nancy got sacked. I certainly haven’t written them off from being champions again by any stretch of the imagination. Far from it.
“If they do, though, it’ll be in spite their strategy, not because of it. They are making things up now as they go along and that’s simple no way to run a football club. The fact that all five of their signings in January were loans says everything about the mess Celtic have created.
“OK, they signed a striker in Tomas Cvancara, but there were other areas of the team they neglected. They should have been looking at a new goalkeeper, an experienced centre-back, and a better option at left-back to cover for Kieran Tierney.
“Instead they brought in one risky signing after another, and left most of it to the last minute when they had played eight games through January.”