Celtic could splash out £1bn on player recruitment and still find themselves trailing behind Champions League titans like Real Madrid.
That’s the view of former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, who has dismissed any notion that the Hoops could bridge the gap with Europe’s elite through sheer financial muscle.
Speaking candidly, Strachan offered a sobering assessment of the club’s place on the European stage.
Strachan appeared alongside ex-Scotland boss Craig Levein and Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd on the SPFL’s new podcast The Warm-Up Unfiltered.
Initially, the discussion revolved around whether a club outside the Old Firm could win the Premiership title.
Boyd suggested that Hearts could pose a challenge if they capitalised on investment and expertise from Brighton chairman Tony Bloom’s analytical company.
However, Levein and Strachan were less optimistic. They argued that Celtic and Rangers would need simultaneous ‘freaky’ seasons for teams like Hearts or Aberdeen to have a shot at the title.
The conversation soon shifted to the financial chasm separating Celtic from European giants. Strachan elaborated on why it would be futile for the Hoops to abandon their successful player trading model in favour of reckless spending aimed at competing with the likes of Real Madrid.
The futility of Celtic competing with Real Madrid
Here’s how the exchange unfolded:
Levein: “The thing with Celtic is, they know they can’t close the gap on the European giants, they can’t do it.”
Strachan: “There’s no point in doing that. What if you spend £200m, how many players are you going to get for that? Then you have to pay the wages.
“So say you pay £10m for someone, they’ll want £50k a week. Then the other players there (at Celtic) say, ‘well I want £50k a week, I want £45k, I want £40k’.
“And before you know it, it’s out of control. If you then have one bad season, you’re done and the club is at risk (financially). That’s the problem you’ve got.”
Levein: “There’s no point in Celtic spending fortunes to try and compete with Real Madrid.”
Strachan: “They’re not going to get anywhere. If you gave them £1bn, they still won’t get there!”
Strachan on Celtic’s development strategy
Earlier in the podcast, Strachan doubled down on his belief that Celtic’s player trading model is the right path.
He highlighted the importance of data-driven recruitment combined with strong player development, emphasising financial prudence.
“There’s two things you have to have,” he said. “You don’t just have data and recruitment, then the next stage is development.
“You don’t have to chuck a lot of money about, but fans want money chucked about. If you look at Celtic, they want £5m or £6m players, maybe even £8m players.
“But Hatate was £800k, Kyogo was £1.6m, Maeda was £1.6m, Matt O’Riley was £1.2m. What I’m saying is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. It has to be data AND development.”
Strachan’s remarks underline a pragmatic approach to competing in Europe, rooted in smart scouting and nurturing talent rather than chasing financial fantasies.
For Celtic, the challenge remains balancing domestic dominance with making strides on the European stage.