Neil Lennon insists he has no interest in Rangers splashing out £7m to recapture Ryan Kent from Liverpool as he eyes up a ninth consecutive title for Celtic.
The Parkhead boss was named manager of the month for August by league sponsors Ladbrokes hot on the heals of Sunday’s Old Firm win at Ibrox which has left the champions three points clear at thew top of the table.
Rangers responded to that defeat on Monday night by spending a fortune on winger Kent who returns to the club on a four year deal after a hugely impressive loan spell last season.
But a bullish Lennon is adamant Kent’s signing will have no impact on his plans to keep Celtic in the title driving seat.
He said: “I’ve no interest in it whatsoever. We have no interest in what Rangers are doing. Well I certainly don’t and especially off the back of a great performance and a great win. All it is is three points and a big psychological lift for everyone associated with the clubs. Four games in it’s been a very good start but that’s all it is.
“I can’t control what other teams do. Who they bring in or what they spend. But we control what we do and I’m pretty happy with the end results.”
Asked if he felt Rangers would have pushed the boat out for Kent had Steven Gerrard’s side not lost Sunday’s derby Lennon continued intriguingly: “Probably. I would have!”
But when quizzed over suggestions Celtic had been considering making a rival bid for the Englishman Lennon answered: “No. Why would I? I have Mikey Johnston, I have Forrest I have Shved, I’ve got Elyounoussi, Sinclair and Hayes. I’ve got Morgan. So we’re covered in that area.”
Lennon, though, is still basking in the enjoyment of his latest Ibrox win, which he rates as one of the most important of his long history with this fixture.
He said: “Yeah, it’s up there. I’m telling you, it’s up there. It’s up there for many, many reasons.
“Again, you don’t listen to the noise. You have to separate yourself from it and see what’s in front of you because that’s the reality.
“There are a lot of people out there who have opinions and there are a lot of pundits up here but you can’t listen to them either even if sometimes you respect their opinions.”
Lennon also declared himself satisfied with Celtic’s transfer business after bringing in three players - Greg Taylor of Kilmarnock, Manchester City’s Jeremie Frimpong and Man United youngster Lee O’Connor before the window closed for the summer.
Taylor and Frimpong will go straight into Celtic’s senior squad while Lennon will run the rule over O’Connor before decising if the defender is ready to challenge for a starting place.
With Nir Bitton, Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic all on Celtic’s treatment table the manager is keen to assess all options over the international break.
He said: “Nir will be three or four weeks, Ajer will be 10 days. We are hoping to have him back for Hamilton. We will need to send Jozo to a specialist and we will take it from there.
“We have a good squad now. We’ve trimmed the squad a lot. 13 left in the summer. It’s not as bloated as it was last season.”
