Chris Sutton sends clear transfer message to Desmond, Nicholson and Wilson | OneFootball

Chris Sutton believes the Celtic board must now deliver in the transfer market, insisting Martin O’Neill should be given the backing he needs ahead of the new campaign.

The Premiership champions have so far added only Camilo Duran to their squad since last season ended 51 days ago, with the league opener now less than a month away.

Sutton feels the club cannot afford to repeat the frustrations of last summer if they are to compete domestically and in the Champions League.

Writing in the Daily Record, the former Celtic striker suggested O’Neill would have outlined exactly what was required before agreeing to extend his stay at the Hoops.

Sutton said: “Martin deserves serious financial backing.

“I know Dermot Desmond, Michael Nicholson and Brian Wilson were in the stands in Dublin on Tuesday night.

“I’d be stunned if, when he signed his new contract, Martin didn’t make it crystal clear what he felt this squad needed. I’m sure he would have had a clear plan.

“Otherwise, why would he have risked doing another year?

“Managers are always strongest when they first agree on a new deal. You’d imagine he would have wanted assurances. I’d be absolutely shocked if he didn’t.

“Ultimately, the board need to show they have learned from last year.

“Expectations are high. People want to see Celtic competing again in the Champions League.

“You think back to them taking Bayern Munich all the way in the knockout stage, and for whatever reason, the club sat on their hands and it all regressed.

“Now they’re trying to get back to that level and that’s not going to be easy if they sell their best players without bringing in the quality needed to replace them.

“Duran looks like a good player on paper and it’s encouraging to finally see Celtic open the chequebook.

“But just like I was, the Colombian is only the first piece of the jigsaw and there’s still so much work to be done.”