Did Neil Lennon sign Christopher Jullien and Boli Bolingoli for Celtic?
Tam McManus has intimated to Football Scotland that Celtic boss Neil Lennon might not have signed Christopher Jullien or Boli Bolingoli this summer.
The Hoops spent a massive £10 million on the pair, with Jullien, at £7 million, representing their second-most expensive transfer of all time.
But it’s fair to say that the Celtic duo have endured difficult starts to life in Scotland and Lennon didn’t play either in the Champions League defeat at home to Cluj last week – their biggest game of the season so far.
Bolingoli has been particularly disappointing, so much so that the Bhoys are on the brink of bringing in another left-back in Birger Meling [The Glasgow Evening Times].
And although McManus insists that they could prove to be inspired additions, the BBC pundit and former Hibernian man questions whether Lennon is pulling the strings on transfer-related matters in Glasgow.
He told Football Scotland: “That both new boys were not trusted on the night by Lennon posts a number of questions. Does he not fancy either of them even this early? Did he actually even sign both players? Was he handed a list to pick from which was put together before he arrived and both were on it?
“To pay £7m for a central defender and not play him in such a critical game for the club does not augur well for the player even this early. Christopher Julien and Bolingoli might go on and be excellent signings for Celtic but it has been a highly conspicuous start.”
Celtic do have a new Head of Recruitment in place after Lee Congerton quit to team up with Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.
But it remains to be seen if it was Nicky Hammond or Lennon who did the heavy lifting behind Jullien and Bolingoli’s recruitment.
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