Ange Postecoglou has done a wonderful job since becoming the Celtic manager. One has to remember, when he arrived in Glasgow, there were little to no expectations and he himself was an unknown in European football, despite his successes in Australia and Japan. He would go on to deliver a Premiership and a League Cup in his debut campaign though, and people have certainly taken notice.
Perhaps Postecoglou’s biggest strength is his ability to identify and sign players, who suit his style of football to a T. Under his management, the squad has been completely transformed and Celtic have discovered a number of gems.
It would come as no surprise if clubs from around Europe try to sign some of these players soon, especially if they are able to make a mark at the World Cup. There is already rumoured to be a lot of interest in the likes of Josip Juranovic and Matt O’Riley.
It looks like any exits would be viewed as an opportunity by Postecoglou though. As reported by Football Scotland, the Celtic manager said:
"“It is an opportunity. If our players do well and move on to so-called greener pastures, if that is what they want, then there is an opportunity for me to improve the team.“Because, if they are going to leave us, we are going to get some revenue in. I don’t fear losing our players. I see that as part of the process.“If you look at clubs who do well at Champions League level that are our size, what do they do? They develop players, sell them on and replace them with better versions, hopefully.“That is where our growth lies. It is part of the process. I don’t fear that. That has to happen for us to grow. We need to be bringing money in to be able to keep bringing better players to our football club.”"
Celtic manager hints at potential exits in the future
It was actually a bit of a surprise that Celtic were able to keep the core of their squad together in the summer, except for the exits of Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton, both of whom decided to leave on a high after long careers at Parkhead.
There are a few players though, who must have caught the eyes of clubs around Europe by now. Of course, Juranovic was linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United in the summer.
On the other hand, the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City, Newcastle United and several others are believed to have their eyes on O’Riley.
There are others who have impressed in Celtic colours as well and it would not be a surprise if clubs were after them too.