Celtic must have replacements lined up for star players says Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Former Celtic player Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink says that the Bhoys need to cash in on their star players, if large offers come in their way.
The likes of Moussa Dembele, Kieran Tierney, and Stuart Armstrong have all been linked with a move away from Parkhead.
There has been a strong interest in Dembele from some of the top European clubs, with the likes of AC Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, West Ham, and Marseille, all been linked with a move at some point this summer.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele scores their fourth goal
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that the club is under no pressure to sell Dembele. However, Hesselink believes that Celtic should sell Dembele, if they get a good offer for the Frenchman.
The former Hoops striker believes Celtic will have to be realistic in their approach. The club so far has maintained a solid stance about holding on to star players but Hesselink says that Celtic should cash in and rebuild the squad in a better way.
At the same time, Celtic should consider long term plans and that philosophy can make the difference for them.
“To a certain point you can say, ‘we are not selling’ but when a really big club comes with big money then the player will have to go,” said Hesselink, as quoted by The Scottish Sun.
“It’s different from ten or 15 years ago because the financial gap between the major leagues and the ones below has got wider and wider. You can’t do anything about it.
“It’s idealistic to think that you can keep hold of your top players because if a large offer comes in — say £25million for Dembele — then there is nothing you can do. It’s the way it works and you should use the money to build your team.
“If you have a plan on how you replace Dembele, for example, and even beyond that. We have just made a deal for PSV for Hirving Lozano from Mexico — and that’s something we have been working on for two years.
“So sometimes you have to think a little bit differently and look to the future.
“You need to plan. If you sell a really big player for £30m, let’s try to get three players of £2-3m and they can grow, achieve their potential and then they can help your club progress in the Champions League and then be sold on.”
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring a goal
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