Celtic lost out to Salzburg tonight but will
still appear in the knock out stages of the Europa League thanks to finishing second in Group D with a game to play. Tonight's opposition topped the Group D so will also be in the knock out stages. The Parkhead club may need to consider if they have a squad capable of making progress in European competitions. Manager Ronny Deila will have admired the energy and composure of Salzburg even in defeat and no doubt will be thinking what business could be done in the upcoming transfer window.
The club are keen to retain the likes of Kris Commons, but they do not plan to discuss a long-term deal considering his age (31) and they may look to offer reduced terms. Celtic are prepared to take a risk in negotiations, despite Commons drawing plenty of admiring glances from England. He has shone for Nottingham Forest and Derby County south of the border in the past, but Deila hopes an agreement can be reached that suits all parties and keeps a key man in Scotland.
The Norwegian said: "We have to do the right thing for the club and provide for the best interests of the club. The length is something we always have to look at because when you get older a long contract is a danger for the club. If we keep the player fit all the time and motivated, it’s no problem. But you never know what will happen in a year. If an older player has a long contract then injury could hit and you have used a lot of money you can’t get back. But when he is at the top of his game as a player you know that he has a high impact on Celtic. I’ve been told Kris and his agent have to come back to us now with an answer to what we have offered and we’ll take it from there. There are a lot of things in a contract. He has his demands and we have our issues that are important as well. We have to think about what’s best for us, while Kris must think about what’s best for him. We come in with what we will pay and they come back with what they want. I don’t think the money is a problem. If we want to do it, we can do it. It’s more about policy than the sums of money."