CHARLIE Mulgrew has defended the Celtic board’s cautious transfer strategy amid growing criticism from supporters about their lack of summer signings and predicted the Parkhead club’s major acquisitions will arrive at the end of August.

The Scottish champions revealed in an announcement to the stock exchange earlier this week that they are on course to record “significantly higher earnings” than they had anticipated when they release their financial results in September.

That did not go down well with a section of their fanbase as they have only brought in three new players since the end of last season – goalkeepers Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel and midfielder Paulo Bernardo.

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But Mulgrew, who won the William Hill Premiership five times and the Scottish Cup twice during the six years that he spent at his boyhood heroes, believes the board are correct to be cautious with their spending during the window.

Speaking at a Premier Sports media event at The City Stadium as a deal to bring Adam Idah back to Glasgow permanently edged closer, he expressed confidence that Brendan Rodgers will get the reinforcements he needs in the coming weeks.

“I’ve seen it in the past with a lot of early signings coming in,” he said. “It doesn’t mean they are all going to be successful.
“Celtic fans maybe feel good when players come in the door. But in two months’ time, if the same people aren’t kicking a ball then they’ll soon get on to them and turn on them, expect and demand from them.
“I’ve said it before, if you’re making signings and anybody else wants them then it’s probably going to be towards the end of August before you start to get them.
“People always wonder why it goes to the end of the window. But there’s a lot to it. Agents will be passing players about, trying to get them here and there. The signings Rangers have made? Celtic have probably been offered them. That’s the way it works.

(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) “If a player wants to get a move to the Old Firm, in their bracket in terms of standard and wages, the agent will be on to both teams. Then Celtic and Rangers will ask, ‘Do we need him or not?’
“But it doesn’t matter when they are signed, even if it’s right up against the deadline, it’s a long season and  it’s about making sure it’s the right players. You don’t want to jump the gun, use up your budget and discover you’ve not got the right player or players in. You need to make sure you get the right one.
“At the same time, there will also be players looking to go and that would free up more of a budget. There are a lot of things going on in August. It’s about being patient, it’s a long season and there’s a lot to play for.”

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Mulgrew added: “They are 100-per-cent right to safeguard the club’s future. Look how good a situation the club is in and how well it’s being run for the last however amount of years.
“The signings that come in - your van Dijks, your Wanyamas, your O’Rileys, Dembeles - were great assets and were then sold for more money. Players like Scott Brown have also been brought in and have given great service for the club.
“I think the model the club has can’t be taken for granted. Sometimes when you look at Rangers, and the past situation they’ve been in through over-spending, then you can only appreciate the model Celtic have which has been top class.
“I know the fans want to have a better run in Europe and that would be great. But Celtic fans and Rangers fans always want more. The more you do the more expectation comes, the more you want to do better in Europe and stuff like that. But I think you’ve always got to have one eye on the club being run properly.”

Charlie Mulgrew was promoting Premier Sports coverage of the Scottish Premiership, Premier Sports Cup and the Scottish Cup. Premier Sports is available to stream from premiersports.com or via your TV provider on Sky, Virgin TV and Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription.