Many of the transfer rumours surrounding Celtic won’t go away. Until someone puts pen to paper on a contract, the possibilities will keep swirling around. That might either confirm a deal at Parkhead or cross a name off the list when they sign up elsewhere. Fans will want to see get things done as soon as possible.
We saw the news of Shin Yamada signing confirmed at the weekend. Maybe this coming week we’ll get news one way or the other about Michel-Ange Balikwisha as well. Or perhaps it will be an alternative target appearing on the horizon. There is another deal though that Celtic fans want news about.
I wrote recently that signing up manager Brendan Rodgers on an extended contract has to be a priority. That's still very much the case in my mind.
Martin O’Neill has a much more reassuring view on getting that done though. He’s quite chilled and relaxed, or at least that's what he says.
Celtic legend offers reassurance on Rodgers' contract
O’Neill was on Talksport and reckoned, as the Daily Record reports, that there is no rush or need for concern. He is sure Dermot Desmond will have the situation under control. He, of course, has plenty of experience with how the club operates:
"In all honesty, if Dermot is involved, which he will be strongly, then I don’t think there is anything to worry about.
“I wouldn’t be too worried about the situation, at all. It depends on what Brendan wants to do. I assume Celtic will want to keep him.
“But I have had dealings with Dermot Desmond. Dermot brought me into the football club. If Dermot wants to keep him, he will go out of his way to do so. It’s really as simple as that."
O'Neill's views do bring some reassurance. A lot is going on right now in terms of pre-season preparations, a Champions League playoff coming up, and the need to add more quality to the squad. Rodgers' contract runs to the end of this campaign, so there is plenty of time to agree on a new one.
On the other hand, if all parties are happy, then why not just get it done? The news would help keep the squad settled and answer a question any potential new signings might ask about who will be the manager in the long run. It would also remove concerns that Rodgers wants to see the club's commitment in terms of expenditure in this transfer window before he signs up again himself..
The club has been good in the past at avoiding player contracts running out. The majority get extended or we see the player move out. Let's hope O’Neill is right, that Desmond and Rodgers are working on a deal, and that it gets confirmed soon enough.