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May 28, 2023

Barry Bannan proves he's a Celtic superfan as he tells board 'we want marquee signings amid transfer 'gamble' fear

The 33-year-old former Scotland star is concerned about some of the transfer business from his boyhood heroes. Get the latest Celtic news sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have

The 33-year-old former Scotland star is concerned about some of the transfer business from his boyhood heroes.

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Barry Bannan insists Celtic have gambled by replacing proven stars with project players and insists the Parkhead punters are craving a “marquee” signing with just a week left of the transfer window.

Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers admitted the Treble winners are weaker after losing Jota and Carl Starfelt while also picking up injuries to key players. Sheffield Wednesday captain and former Scotland star Bannan has never hidden his affection for Celtic, where he started his career in the youth ranks, and donned the shirt of his boyhood heroes as the appeared on the Unrestricted View podcast, to share his concerns over the summer activity.

Celtic have signed rising stars such as Pole Maik Nawrocki, Swede Gustaf Lagerbielke and Aussie Marco Tilio. But having banked £25 million for Jota and around £4m for Starfelt, Bannan said: “Surely you go and spend the bulk of it on replacing people but Celtic have gone about it in a different way and signed up and coming talent.

“Celtic need people in the door for now. These boys might be brilliant this season but it’s a bit of a gamble, they are young and still learning the game. Jota was experienced in terms of he’d played in the Champions League and Europe and know what it’s all about.

“You can’t go and replace these people with people who are starting out their careers. You need to go out and replace them with proven players and that’s where Celtic have kind of let themselves down and the fans are becoming disgruntled because we want a marquee signing.”