NEIL LENNON'S interest in Charlton defender Michael Morrison appears to have been stepped up.
The Celtic manager, below, made his way to Oxford's Kassam Stadium on Tuesday to watch the Division Two side play Charlton in their FA Cup replay.
Another player linked to the Hoops in the past, 32-year-old striker, Yann Kermorgant, grabbed two of the goals in the 3-0 victory for the English Championship club.
But, it was the Frenchman's team-mate, Morrison, who was having his form assessed.
The 25-year-old Charlton vice-captain is out of contract in June, and would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement.
However, if Celtic do decide to convert their interest into a serious attempt to bring him on board, Morrison would be available now for around £500,000.
While a goal scorer remains top of Lennon's January shopping list, he is also keen to strengthen his defence.
Middlesbrough's Rhys Williams is also on their radar.
But the Australian international - who appeared to be set to join Swansea - would cost around three times what it would take to land Morrison, would require much higher wages, and has a more suspect injury record.
The durable Morrison has made more than 300 appearances in a career which started at Leicester and took him to Sheffield Wednesday before he moved to Charlton in 2010.
With Georgios Samaras now expected to see out his current contract before leaving Parkhead in the summer, and Joe Ledley tipped to sign the new deal in front of him, Lennon is beginning to get a clearer picture of what he still needs to find for his squad, and the money he will have for wages.
If they do decide to go for Norwich midfielder Robert Snodgrass, that would eat up a huge chunk of this, and would also swallow most of the manager's purchasing power.
Benfica's Filip Djuricic is another player who, like Snodgrass, would cost around £6million.
The Serbian midfielder's agent has made it clear that, despite problems getting into the side since his move from Heerenveen last summer, the 21 year-old wants to stay in Lisbon to fight for his place.
Lennon remains hopeful he can add to the two signings already made in this window, Stefan Johansen and Holmbert Fridjonsson.
But, with the window of opportunity about to enter its final week, the urgency to get deals concluded is becoming greater.
In-form Kris Commons would like to see more new faces arrive, and understands why the club are targeting this month as the main opportunity to do business this year.
He said: "We are definitely looking long-term. We've got half an eye on next season, and the Champions League qualifiers that just seem to pop up from nowhere.
"So, it's important we get players in now of good quality who are going to give us that extra edge in the top club competition in the world.
"You could kind of see that - we were just lacking that cutting edge this term. So, we need to invest."
Meanwhile, reports in Sweden claim Elfsborg's 16-year-old striker, Tshutshu Tshakasua, is on his way to Parkhead after impressing in a trial in November.
With Neil Lennon there last night and leaving when Yann was subbed, looks like he may have renewed his interest with him.
With Yann's contract up at the end of the season, there has been talk that an automatic extension is triggered if he plays a certain amount of games, and that he has been in contract talks with Prothero, who apparently is still here.
Hoe do you see this one panning out, and what would you say is a fair price for Yann ?
I really don't want Yann to leave, he is the best player we have by far.
If he decided to leave because he wants to have a go at Champions League football i wouldn't begrudge him that at all, but i get the feeling he would rather stay and it sounds like Powell is the deciding factor here. If the board renewed Powells contract i wonder how many players would immediately sign new deals.
Really wouldn't want to lose Morrison either though maybe a defender is easier to replace.
Yes, that's what I thought. But we'd have to get a replacement.
Long-term we would yes, but short-term Dervite could play there and hopefully Cort if he can ever get himself fit. We would be short there though and would need a replacement centre half from Liege.
Yes, that's what I thought. But we'd have to get a replacement.
Long-term we would yes, but short-term Dervite could play there and hopefully Cort if he can ever get himself fit. We would be short there though and would need a replacement centre half from Liege.
Cort will likely not play this season (again for Charlton). Certainly, not for a couple of months.
Wood seems to pick up a fair few injuries.
If Morrison goes, it leaves us with Dervite as the only regularly fit centre half.
@CAFCofficial: CP, on Kermorgant link with @celticfc: I want him to stay here. I can't stop what people are going to write in the press. #pressday #cafc
We could say they don't deserve him , but when he first came him were we so full of praise , after what he'd done at Leicester, i'm sure the Celtic fans would change their tune if he did for them what he's done for them , if it goes pair shaped his life will be hell up there, and he will hate it.
We could say they don't deserve him , but when he first came him were we so full of praise , after what he'd done at Leicester, i'm sure the Celtic fans would change their tune if he did for them what he's done for them , if it goes pair shaped his life will be hell up there, and he will hate it.
I genuinely didn't think there would be a way of raising my hatred for that club any further. Turns out there is.
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
Yes, that's what I thought. But we'd have to get a replacement.
Long-term we would yes, but short-term Dervite could play there and hopefully Cort if he can ever get himself fit. We would be short there though and would need a replacement centre half from Liege.
I have said in other places and will say again.The loan I'd most like from Liege is Tal Ben Haim.He has only played in 8 games for them,was an unused sub Saturday is only 31 and has played most of the last decade in the Prem,so in this case it may be sensible to plunder Liege.
Two good things (1) the fans dont want him... (2) the Daily Mail article says Celtic are also looking @ Lee Tomlin... they should definitely take the latter... Younger and is English so when a team down here want him back they can do charge their usual over inflated prices!!
How about we keep Yann and take Tomlin for good measure. Pi55 Celtic off as well as making me very happy.
What they don't understand is if someone is scoring goals in the championship then you can pretty much double that in their wanky borderline sunday league.
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
Oh well that is me then..................fecking hooped tossers with their sick comments :-)
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
Didn't take you long.
Don't have to be a Rangers fan to realise Celtic and their fans are scummy.
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
Didn't take you long.
Don't have to be a Rangers fan to realise Celtic and their fans are scummy.
It is a valid opinion. Obviously I disagree. But this is a Charlton Athletic forum so I am not going debate it on here.
Basically all of their fans are likely to be pent up and angry that they have to play the mighty Falkirk 86 times a season, and their only real possibility of competition comes if they get through to the group stages of the Champions League. If that happens they all go around convincing themselves that 3 glorious nights of European football at Parkhead makes up for the other 9 months of the year.
For some reason, they still live in time warp of the mid 90s when the competition was moderately exciting given some of the foreign players playing in Scotland. Unfortunately, gone are the days of the Larsson, Laudrup, the De Boers & Di Canio playing in the SPL. Nowadays Championship rejects who don't want to challenge themselves such as Joe Ledley & Kris Commons are what they are left with. The big Glasgow derby is now St Mirren and no matter how many times you divide up the SPL into 2 leagues of 6 teams after March, or re-brand the rest of the league to mirror England, their league will always remain the faeces of football in Europe.
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
Didn't take you long.
Don't have to be a Rangers fan to realise Celtic and their fans are scummy.
It is a valid opinion. Obviously I disagree. But this is a Charlton Athletic forum so I am not going debate it on here.
That's funny. You enter a debate and then say you are not going to debate it on here.
Anyway, please ignore me, as I do not wish to start a pointless arguement.
I can't really see why you are getting worked up about the Celtic fans comments. There are far worse things said on here about players we are linked with.
The only people getting worked up on here about the comments are the usual Rangers Plastics!
Didn't take you long.
Don't have to be a Rangers fan to realise Celtic and their fans are scummy.
It is a valid opinion. Obviously I disagree. But this is a Charlton Athletic forum so I am not going debate it on here.
That's funny. You enter a debate and then say you are not going to debate it on here.
Anyway, please ignore me, as I do not wish to start a pointless arguement.
I posted on this thread because it had been turned into yet another 'Celtic and all their fans are scum' debate by the usual Rangers fans on here. I was merely making the point that this is a Charlton forum and, as admin have stated many times, there are other sites where you can debate whether or not Celtic/Rangers fans are scum.
The speed at which the board is moving, will result in no replacement for two key players if they sell. If this happens, with no replacements then League One is drawing ever closer.
Comments
NEIL LENNON'S interest in Charlton defender Michael Morrison appears to have been stepped up.
The Celtic manager, below, made his way to Oxford's Kassam Stadium on Tuesday to watch the Division Two side play Charlton in their FA Cup replay.
Another player linked to the Hoops in the past, 32-year-old striker, Yann Kermorgant, grabbed two of the goals in the 3-0 victory for the English Championship club.
But, it was the Frenchman's team-mate, Morrison, who was having his form assessed.
The 25-year-old Charlton vice-captain is out of contract in June, and would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement.
However, if Celtic do decide to convert their interest into a serious attempt to bring him on board, Morrison would be available now for around £500,000.
While a goal scorer remains top of Lennon's January shopping list, he is also keen to strengthen his defence.
Middlesbrough's Rhys Williams is also on their radar.
But the Australian international - who appeared to be set to join Swansea - would cost around three times what it would take to land Morrison, would require much higher wages, and has a more suspect injury record.
The durable Morrison has made more than 300 appearances in a career which started at Leicester and took him to Sheffield Wednesday before he moved to Charlton in 2010.
With Georgios Samaras now expected to see out his current contract before leaving Parkhead in the summer, and Joe Ledley tipped to sign the new deal in front of him, Lennon is beginning to get a clearer picture of what he still needs to find for his squad, and the money he will have for wages.
If they do decide to go for Norwich midfielder Robert Snodgrass, that would eat up a huge chunk of this, and would also swallow most of the manager's purchasing power.
Benfica's Filip Djuricic is another player who, like Snodgrass, would cost around £6million.
The Serbian midfielder's agent has made it clear that, despite problems getting into the side since his move from Heerenveen last summer, the 21 year-old wants to stay in Lisbon to fight for his place.
Lennon remains hopeful he can add to the two signings already made in this window, Stefan Johansen and Holmbert Fridjonsson.
But, with the window of opportunity about to enter its final week, the urgency to get deals concluded is becoming greater.
In-form Kris Commons would like to see more new faces arrive, and understands why the club are targeting this month as the main opportunity to do business this year.
He said: "We are definitely looking long-term. We've got half an eye on next season, and the Champions League qualifiers that just seem to pop up from nowhere.
"So, it's important we get players in now of good quality who are going to give us that extra edge in the top club competition in the world.
"You could kind of see that - we were just lacking that cutting edge this term. So, we need to invest."
Meanwhile, reports in Sweden claim Elfsborg's 16-year-old striker, Tshutshu Tshakasua, is on his way to Parkhead after impressing in a trial in November.
If he decided to leave because he wants to have a go at Champions League football i wouldn't begrudge him that at all, but i get the feeling he would rather stay and it sounds like Powell is the deciding factor here. If the board renewed Powells contract i wonder how many players would immediately sign new deals.
Really wouldn't want to lose Morrison either though maybe a defender is easier to replace.
from Liege.Wood seems to pick up a fair few injuries.
If Morrison goes, it leaves us with Dervite as the only regularly fit centre half.
Sell Yann = relegation
Simple.
I'd rather they went for free in the summer as 200k now compared to champ status is nothing.
I have said in other places and will say again.The loan I'd most like from Liege is Tal Ben Haim.He has only played in 8 games for them,was an unused sub Saturday is only 31 and has played most of the last decade in the Prem,so in this case it may be sensible to plunder Liege.
Pi55 Celtic off as well as making me very happy.
Don't have to be a Rangers fan to realise Celtic and their fans are scummy.
http://bit.ly/1g3CX1W
For some reason, they still live in time warp of the mid 90s when the competition was moderately exciting given some of the foreign players playing in Scotland. Unfortunately, gone are the days of the Larsson, Laudrup, the De Boers & Di Canio playing in the SPL. Nowadays Championship rejects who don't want to challenge themselves such as Joe Ledley & Kris Commons are what they are left with. The big Glasgow derby is now St Mirren and no matter how many times you divide up the SPL into 2 leagues of 6 teams after March, or re-brand the rest of the league to mirror England, their league will always remain the faeces of football in Europe.
Yann would be a luxury they don't deserve.
Anyway, please ignore me, as I do not wish to start a pointless arguement.
Agree with original topic - Kermo and Morrison, at the moment are key to survival