The Champions League Final will provide evidence of Celtic’s best work in the transfer market when Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama line up on opposite sides in Madrid.
And the fact Neil Lennon was the man in charge when the Hoops signed the two bargain buys bodes well for the club’s future now he has been confirmed as permanent boss.
Recruitment is the word that has continually been used as Celtic look to freshen things up following their astonishing treble Treble success.
Peter Lawwell claims the amount of work needing done in the transfer market has been exaggerated but strengthening while on top has always been vital to any dominant side staying at the summit.
And former striker Chris Sutton has used his Record Sport columns to claim there is a real need for investment in the squad. At least the much-maligned Lee Congerton won’t be the man to oversee whatever work is required after he left to team up with Brendan Rodgers again at Leicester City.
And it is more crucial than ever that Celtic get it right with the core of players who have brought so much recent success needing a bit of quality to help them out.
Nine-in-a-row could hinge on the work done in the transfer market with Dedryck Boyata leaving, Mikael Lustig possibly joining him on the way out and a host of loanees returning to their parent clubs.
Van Dijk and Wanyama are two reminders of Celtic’s most successful scouting era.
The Hoops paid less than £4million for the pair but they have since moved for a combined £110m.
They were relative unknowns when they moved to Glasgow and just missed each other, with van Dijk checking in for £2.6m from Groningen as Wanyama was heading to Southampton for £12.5m having spent two years at Parkhead following his £900,000 switch from Belgian side Germinal Beerschot.
Their success has been a feather in the cap for Celtic’s scouting network, with former talent spotter John Park and Lennon deserving most of the credit. It might be asking a lot to find gems like that every summer but that has to be the aim.
There is always an element of risk and it has to be noted that Amido Balde joined in the same summer as van Dijk only for the £1.5m striker to flop.
John McGinn was under Celtic’s nose last summer but they couldn’t get a deal over the line and his £2.75m move to Aston Villa has proved to be a snip.
Andy Robertson will also run out in Saturday’s Euro final, the ultimate one who got away after he was released by Celtic as a kid.
There always be stories of those who slipped through the net but with Lennon admitting a rebuild on the scale of Gordon Strachan’s in 2005 could be required then it’s vital they get a few prize catches like Wanyama and van Dijk.
