16 Jan 2023 16:17:11
CELTIC STRIKER Giorgos Giakoumakis is reportedly set to sign for Japanese side Urawa this week in what’s being touted as a €4m deal.

The Greek forward who came on and scored Celtic’s second goal in the Hampden semi-final looks set to quite the Parkhead club after just 18-months in Glasgow.

Fabrizio Romano reports the deal is set to be concluded but hasn’t ruled out a last minute intervention by MLS side Atlanta to bring Giakoumakis to the U. S.

1.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 16:49:44
Very disappointing, if true. For that price we're better off keeping him, but not if he's desperate to leave. Not good news at all.

2.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 16:51:35
Not happy he's leaving and especially not for €4m. Any replacement carries a risk, I'd find the cash and keep him.

3.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 16:55:13
Giakoumakis is definitely worth more but I don’t think it would be fair to keep him in Glasgow, where his young family haven’t settled.

It’s a very slight profit to be used on his replacement.

I will always be grateful to GG for stepping up when we needed him the most.

{Ed007's Note - As I said last week it looks like this - and Juranovic - situation has came about after Dom McKay's short time as CEO.}

4.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 16:56:51
Guys I don't think most Celtic fans will be happy if £4m fee correct, but remember our ED007 said it was his wife who could not settle in Glasgow, so reluctantly accept his decision, and hopefully a replacement will be signed quickly.

5.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 16:58:41
Paltry amount for a class player, can't be right this story.

6.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 17:10:15
Class? Mally, really? Now don't get me wrong. I would give the boy an extra 5k a week and keep him if that's what's up. However, he misses far more than he scores. I am a fan, honestly. But to say he is 'Class' is just not right imo. HH!

7.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 17:39:54
Thats your opinion, he was top scorer in Holland then Scotland, if he'd had the amount of games kyogo has he'd have scored more imo.

8.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 17:44:01
I missed that Ed. What about Dom McKay?

{Ed007's Note - I was talking to someone last week about the reported low "release" clause in Juranovic's contract and they said one of the reasons McKay didn't last was that the contracts he negotiated left a lot to be desired.
If it's true that could be a worry moving forward with players signed that summer.}

9.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 18:36:14
I just don’t get this his misses and young family couldn’t settle but they are going to try to settle in Japan? I’d say it’s easier to settle in a European country if your from Europe snd not an Asian country.

10.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:08:02
Aye, worrying thought that would be Ed. You had any insight into whether it covers Doms other deals and who it would cover if so?

{Ed007's Note - It's all the players signed in the summer of 2021 on HERE apart from Jota and CCV.
Abada and Kyogo - especially Abada - are the main worries for me.}

11.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:14:45
IF the player/ Any player really is unhappy and really wants a move its better for everyone for him to move on I do think its not as much as he is worth but I can't see Ange complaining about what ever the price is so I wish him all the best in his career and in his personal life also.

{Ed007's Note - I don't think Ange takes much interest in the financial side of stuff, Tony.}

12.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:19:17
Mark, if true then that is a shocking revelation about McKay.
No wonder he was out before his coat had stopped wobbling on the hook. HH.

{Ed007's Note - It would kind of explain a lot though wouldn't it, Besty?}

13.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:27:55
It would. He was appointed and promoted as a safe pair of hands and then left abruptly.
There was clearly a reason for it which has been smothered and if this is it then it's very poor indeed. HH.

{Ed007's Note - Definitely ?

14.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:31:20
Ed.

I'm just thinking aloud!

Has GG set the heather on fire during his time with us?

Do you think that GG was an approved signing by Ange?
(Which I think he was) .

Do you think there has been some sort of fall out between the pair?

Excluding what may or may not be true about family not settling etc, there's no doubt in my mind that if it was purely down to a few thousand etc onto his contract that Celtic would offer this.
Obviously unless he has been offered loads more by Urawa or other suitors.
Why would you go to Urawa unless it's purely for money and / or family think it would be a good lifestyle?
I take on board your comments about Dom McKay in contracts etc which we briefly spoke about last week.

We as fans analyse all the dots, crosses, click bait etc to death.

Whether we like it or not players good, bad, mediocre come and go and will continue to do so.

Some we will remember more than others.
GG may or may not be one of them.

?.

{Ed007's Note - No player has been signed without Ange's consent to the deal - even James McCarthy who Ange spoke to numerous times on the phone - so I don't think that was a problem, Brian.
In my opinion if Gio had been given the game time Kyogo has he would have scored more goals than him. He hasn't set the heather alight but I think he could have.}

15.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:32:00
I’m not saying this is a great fee, or that selling him is the right or wrong thing to do right now, but IMO from a business perspective I think this could be good. We all keep hoping for Tierney-type money for players but how many players have commanded a £10m+ fee in the past 10years from not only our club but the entire SPFL? The buy low/ sell high model is the way to go, but I think we should be concentrating on constantly increasing the value of each position - whether that’s by 10% or 100% season over season, I think it makes sense to have that as a longer term goal… plus if we add a substantial sell on clause when transferring to a league that can command bigger transfer fees would mean we’re investing in the future with zero risk. I get that GG might not have much sell on value, but if we sell him for 3m and buy a promising young lad for the same price then we just improved the value of that position. I don’t know how else you can get to a team valued at say £10m per player?

Just my opinion…not saying this is the actual plan.

{Ed007's Note - ??

16.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 19:55:39
Fair comment H2MS.

HH.

17.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 20:07:31
Thanks Ed. I guess new contracts can remove these type of things. Abada will be due one soon if he continues his contribution imo. I imagine Kyogo would already be on decent money… bit just a guess.

{Ed007's Note - I honestly don't think Kyogo will leave us unless it's a move back to Japan in a few years or unless Ange up sticks. I just get a sense that him and Ange have a bit of a special relationship and unless it's an absolute stormer of an offer there wouldn't be much interest from Celtic to sell or Kyogo to get his head turned, he's 28 this week as well so you need to keep that in mind, Celtic are probably the biggest club he'll play for, the CL etc so a couple of years and he'll be maybe thinking about winding down his career and getting back to Japan.
I think Hatate is a different kettle of fish and will move onto a richer/bigger league and Maeda could do the same.
If there is anything like what we're talking about in Abada's contract I would definitely try and get a new deal without these clauses and a few extra grand in the lads pocket. Some people are questioning what he's offering just now but he's a young lad who has shown what he can do.}

18.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 20:17:19
ED007, please tell me something else is going on here if we’ve actually accepted this bid for GG. Who is it within the club that accepts or rejects offers for our players? I understand he might want to leave and that’s fine but surely we shouldn’t be accepting such a n offer for a striker who is worth far more than that.

{Ed007's Note - It's the CEO - currently Michael Nicholson - and the head of finance or what ever title they have, ours at the time was Michael Nicholson.}

19.) 16 Jan 2023
16 Jan 2023 22:05:06
I think the Abada contract will be safe was it not PLs mate in Israel that did that deal the same agent as bitton, soro etc.

{Ed007's Note - Like any agent Dudu Dahan does what's needed to make money for himself and client. He never done us any favours with the likes of Colin Kazim-Richards did he?
If McKay was as out his depth (gullible?) in contract negotiations then a smart cookie like Dudu will have ran rings round him.}

20.) 17 Jan 2023
17 Jan 2023 08:57:26
Great thread, bhoys :)

21.) 17 Jan 2023
17 Jan 2023 13:30:57
The only thing I would like to add is that someone mentioned why would his family not settle here but could in Japan.
The weather might have something to do with it, also society and the way of life in Japan is first class.