Wages a problem if Celtic want McGeady return – Deila

Celtic manager Ronny Deila thinks wages would prove to be a major stumbling block if the club moved to try and sign Everton winger Aiden McGeady on loan.

The Republic of Ireland international began his career with the Scottish Premiership club, spending seven seasons with them before leaving in 2010.

McGeady joined Everton from Spartak Moscow in 2014, but has not featured in Roberto Martinez’s first-team plans this season, playing only once in the League Cup – a potential problem ahead of his country’s participation at Euro 2016.

Deila revealed the 29-year-old was the type of player he would be interested in, but felt McGeady’s Premier League wages made any potential Celtic swoop unlikely to be successful.

“It has to be players who want to come to Glasgow and play for Celtic – like Carlton Cole,” Deila told The Herald.

“He went down a lot in salary. We would not be able to pay the salary that the likes of McGeady are on. The difference is so unbelievably big that there is no chance. The wage structure would be broken 10 times if we did that!”

Deila also spoke of his reluctance to pursue many loan moves, saying Cetlic would want an option to buy inserted into any temporary agreements.

“When you get someone and then they leave in the summer it becomes a tough situation afterwards,” he said.

“Sometimes you can do it. If you feel you can build a relationship with the player during the time he is on loan then maybe you can keep him longer. 

“Maybe with players like McGeady, who has been here before, when he reaches the end of his career he will want to come back again. That’s possible, of course. 

“I have not talked with him about that, although these types of names we are talking about. I don’t know what [majority shareholder] Dermot Desmond did before [to attract big names on loan]. You would need to talk with him about that. 

“But we would need to have the opportunity to buy him. That is an important thing for us.”