Janko’s keen on Hoops
CELTIC are set to hold a second round of key transfer talks next week with £5 million-rated Austrian hitman Marc Janko.
Hoops boss Gordon Strachan met prolific Red Bull Salzburg striker Janko and his agent Georg Stanggassinger in Glasgow in January and more discussions will take now take place after Sunday's SPL finale.
Celtic were unable to commit to a deal until the championship was decided and with it the £15 million passport to the Champions league graoup stages.
But in a curious twist in the tale last night it emerged that money is NOT key to the transfer - which could be good news for cash-conscious Celtic if Rangers do win the SPL flag race.
Stanggassinger has confirmed that Janko has a gentleman's agreement with billionaire Red Bull owner and friend Didi Mateschitz that could see the 6ft 5in attacker arrive in Scotland for a reduced fee if he decides Celtic is his future.
Stangassinger said: "Marc remains open to the idea of Celtic after he was left very impressed by his visit in January and his talks with the coach."I have since had one more conversation with Celtic and we will talk again next week.
"Myself and Marc are aware that the league sitiuation in Scotland favours Rangers right now and that means Celtic may not get automatic qualification for the Champions league."But this short-term view is not one that matters most to Marc - he was very impressed with the facilities, the coach and the ideas at Celtic.
"To us it's not so important what happens with the Scottish league title this season - but of course for Celtic and their finances it is important.This is one reason why Celtic waited, but there is no pressure from anyone to move swiftly and we can wait for Celtic to come to their conclusions and talk again after Sunday.
"It's true that Tottenham have had him watched recently, but it is accurate to say we're still more in contact with Celtic than any other club."There is no set timetable for a deal - we'll speak again with Celtic and with Marc and take it from there."
Janko is set to bag the coveted Goden Shoe ahead of Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Valencia's David Villa and with jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and georgios Samaras in poor goal form and Scott McDonald strugling on his own, Celtic badly need a proven goalscorer.
