Greater Strength- Peter Lawwell’s incredible Transfer Window claim

Peter Lawwell has claimed that the current Celtic squad has greater strength than last season’s Treble Winners.

It is quite a stretch to claim that the summer transfer activity has improved the squad which powered to three trophies and provided fans with excitement and hope in the Champions League.

Most fans were hoping to see two or three positions strengthened during the summer window, there was an expectation of quality coming in over quality. Signing players costing £10m or more was always fanciful but smart scouting should have been able to identify players of a similar calibre to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota.

Aaron Mooy’s retirement was an immediate blow, when that was followed by the transfer of Jota to Al Ittiad the transfer window requirement became much greater.

Jota had excelled all season, scored away to RB Leipzig and Real Madrid and popped up with regular goals in the Glasgow Derby.

The transfer of Carl Starfelt was covered by the signings of Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki, that seemed like sensible business even if Liam Scales come in from Siberia to claim Starfelt’s position alongside Carter-Vickers.

Attempts to replace Jota have missed my a mile. Luis Palma is showing some promise just now but wouldn’t be troubling the Superstar from Portugal if he was still around.

Marco Tilio and Yang Hyun-jun are likely to emulate the Celtic career of Marian Shved. Being foreign, in a new continent and barely playing isn’t going to assist anyone’s development, that has been well established down the years.

The same applies to the midfield projects- Odin Thiago Holm and Kwon Hyeok-kyu with their limited prospects dimmed further by the arrival of Paolo Bernardo on loan from Benfica.

Casting an accountants eye over the transfer window, writing in the 2023 Report the Chairman Lawwell claims:

Securing the SPFL title once again in 2022/23 led to automatic Champions League qualification. Following the draw, we have been matched against Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico Madrid in what is sure to be an exciting Champions League Group Stage.

Automatic qualification allowed us to make further football investment with a focus on building greater strength into the playing squad. In the summer 2023 transfer window, we have acquired Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, Odin Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Luis Palma and brought in Paulo Bernardo and Nathaniel Phillips on loan.

The present squad also gives real potential for development with the average age being 24.

After back-to-back titles and confirmed entry to the group stage of the Champions League Celtic were in need of quality, a couple of additions and like for like replacements for players being sold.

When Liel Abada returns Palma will step aside leaving Alistair Johnston as the only starter to be signed since Mark Lawwell joined the payroll.

Palma looks like the only summer signing that will start 10 SPFL matches this season, Kwon and Tilio will have their work cut out to make it onto the bench.

The folly of the Project strategy can be found in the status of Ben Siegrist, Alexandro Bernabei and Yuki Kobayashi.

Lawwell Senior might see greater strength, getting players shifted out on loan looks like the priority for Lawwell Junior when the January Transfer Window opens.