Chris Sutton says £11m Premier League deal shows Celtic have secured a bargain

Follow us on Google Discover

Depending on who you ask, Celtic have either massively overpaid or completed a fine piece of business.

Was nine goals in 19 games enough to justify a potential £9.5 million outlay. One that could make Adam Idah, presuming those add-ons can be met, the most expensive signing in Celtic’s history?

Well, maintain the form of his ‘immense’ first spell at Parkhead and the answer to that question will be a resounding yes. It wasn’t just the sheer number of goals – Idah averaging one-in-two during his loan spell from Norwich City – but the timing of them that made the Republic of Ireland international such a hit north of the border.

Stoppage time efforts against Hibernian and Motherwell. That dramatic last-gasp winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers. Without Idah’s intervention, a season which ended in two trophies for Brendan Rodgers’ side could realistically have culminated in none at all.

So former Celtic hitman Chris Sutton – who previously described the slow pace of negotiations as ‘baffling’ – is delighted to see Idah return.

Late, after all, is infinitely better than never.

Chris Sutton delighted by Celtic’s Adam Idah deal

“Idah’s return is a major positive,” Sutton tells the Daily Record. “It’s funny seeing some fans complaining about the £9.5 million fee after demanding the Parkhead board open the purse strings all summer.

“I don’t think it’s a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. If you think back to 2000, the deals for the likes of myself, Neil Lennon and John Hartson would be worth about £13 million when you consider inflation.

“If you look at football inflation, I’d cost about £150m these days!”

Sutton does have a point.

Pretty much every club you could think of have broken their transfer record in the last few years. The game has changed considerably, even in the five years since Celtic stumped up £9 million for Odsonne Edouard.

And after banking considerable sums following the sales of Jota, Liel Abada and Carl Starfelt – and with Matt O’Riley potentially on his way too – it is surely only a good thing that The Hoops are reinvesting those funds back into the playing squad.

Sutton also highlights the £11 million fee Ipswich Town are paying for another striker based in England’s second-tier.

Yes, Sammie Szmodics won the Championship Golden Boot last season with Blackburn Rovers. But, five years older than Idah and with considerably less re-sale potential, Celtic’s deal may represent better pound-for-pound value.

“The money paid for Idah is just the market right now,” adds Sutton, who spoke in similarly positive tones about the return of Paulo Bernardo. “Ipswich Town are shelling out up to £11m to Blackburn Rovers for Idah’s Ireland teammate Sammie Szmodics.

“Idah is younger and has more potential. And you have to think (he) would flourish under a manager like Rodgers, who is renowned for developing players.

“You only have to look at the improvement of Matt O’Riley under his charge.”

Idah was hugely important in double win

Sutton, by his own admission, was not convinced by Idah initially. But after watching him dominate defenders in the Premiership and showcase his new-found heading ability, those concerns quickly dissipated.

“I had concerns about him not using his physical attributes,” the former Aston Villa man explains. “But he came up with the answers. It was telling he started the decider down at Kilmarnock last term and it was one of the best all round centre forward performances I’d seen in a long time.

“Kilmarnock are a big, strong, organised team under Derek McInnes. Yet Idah absolutely bullied them. His hold up play and movement was always okay but I felt he made great strides, even in just a few months under Rodgers, especially in the air.

“Look at his thumping header at Motherwell. He scored another cracker with his head for Ireland in the summer. It’s another part of his game he has improved and will keep improving under Rodgers because there is still scope to get better.”

Celtic have started the Premiership campaign with two wins, six goals and a pair of clean sheets. Rodgers’ side face Hibernian in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.