Tuesday 25 November 2014 17:59, UK
Celtic assistant boss John Collins says the club are in danger of losing out on their January transfer targets if they do not clinch a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Celtic face Red Bull Salzburg at Celtic Park on Thursday night with a place in the last 32 within their grasp.
A win over the Austrian champions or the failure of Group D rivals Dinamo Zagreb to beat Astra in Romania would be enough to see Ronny Deila's men go through with a game to spare.
But Collins fears a defeat to Salzburg, combined with a slip up against Dinamo in their final group clash in Croatia, might see the Hoops miss out on the names at the top of their transfer wish list.
The former Hoops midfielder said: "It is vitally important that we qualify. If we are looking for players in January and next summer, they will want to play in Europe.
It's very difficult to get top players if you are not in Europe.
"Good players want to be involved in the Champions League and Europa League. They don't just want to play domestic football. So it is really important that we qualify.
"Is it our biggest selling point? Yeah, it's very difficult to get top players if you are not in Europe."
Parkhead defender Jason Denayer believes the Glasgow giants should be looking to do much more than just escaping their group.
"I think we can reach the final or semi-final. It depends who we play. But if we play 100 per cent we can win this tournament," said the defender who is on loan from Manchester City.
Collins, though is preaching caution ahead of the clash with Salzburg, saying: "I would love to win it but there are lots of good teams and lots of good players left in the competition, so one step at a time. We have to qualify for the knockout rounds first and then see where that takes us."
Celtic's best displays under Deila have come in the Europa League but Collins warns it will be a long time before they can seriously compete with Europe's big clubs.
"We have got a long way to go," said the man who once helped Monaco to the Champions League semi-finals. "There has been a lot of new players in and we are still building.
"We know our players now, though. We have had five months together but like any side, we will always look to strengthen. We are seeing improvements on the training pitch and as the weeks go by we are getting better. But there is still a long way to go."
Salzburg are a good team. They play some high tempo football and love to press. They are probably one of the best - if not the best - pressing team in Europe.
And Collins knows his men will not get an easy ride on Thursday against a side who he reckons are amongst the hardest working in Europe.
He said: "Salzburg are a good team. They play some high tempo football and love to press. They are probably one of the best - if not the best - pressing team in Europe.
"They don't give you a second on the ball and are always looking to pass forward. It will be a new challenge for us. It's something we don't get in Scotland. Most teams sit off us here, so it is the exact opposite."
