Now is not the time for Celtic to lose any of their defenders, says Johan Mjallby

IN the past week, Dedryck Boyata, Jozo Simunovic and Kieran Tierney have all been linked with big-money transfers away from Celtic.

Boyata has been in fine form for Belgium at the World Cup, and has found himself on the radar of Serie A’s Lazio in a potential £8m move.

Simunovic has been mentioned as a possible £5m target for French outfit, Lille.

And Tierney, who has been on the list of top English Premier League sides such as Manchester United and Spurs, now finds himself the subject of a £25m bid from Everton.

All of that may be good news for the club’s bank balance, but former Hoops defender, Johan Mjallby, warns this transfer speculation could hardly have come at a worse time for manager, Brendan Rodgers.

He told The Sunday Post: “I’m sure Brendan would rather be safe in the knowledge that a player will be at the club for the whole of the Champions League qualifiers for the next seven or eight weeks.

“You don’t want to lose a key player at this stage, particularly a central defender. They should be the rocks of the team.

“After the situation has been resolved – and you are either in the Champions League or not – then things become different.

“That’s when things can happen. Until then, you need everyone focused and alert.

“Due to World Cup commitments, Dedryck Boyata will definitely not play against Alashkert in the opening Champions League qualifier.

“The same will apply to Mikael Lustig, and I would imagine Brendan would want them back for the next tie.

“But that is the team without 50% of its first choice defensive line-up. It’s hardly ideal.

“It is yet another downside to having to play qualifiers so early, and I think it is all very unfair on Celtic.

“The champions of Scotland should be treated with more respect.”

With Boyata only having one year remaining on his current contract, it may well be he will be sold if an extension can’t be agreed in the next few weeks.

Simunovic is likely to be moved on after the emergence of Kristoffer Ajer and Jack Hendry.

Experienced German, Marvin Compper, is also waiting in the wings to give Rodgers more options in the central defensive area.

In the case of Tierney, he is more than happy to remain at Celtic and has no interest in pursuing the big bucks down south.

But a big-money offer from Everton could give him, and Celtic, a decision to make.

Despite having the opportunity to make millions on some of their defenders, Rodgers is unlikely to look to cash in on his main players.

Mjallby agrees with that strategy, having been put in a similar situation when he was assistant to Neil Lennon at Celtic Park.

They resisted the temptation to sell Virgil van Dijk during the vital Champions League period in August, but did move on Kelvin Wilson to Nottingham Forest for £2.5m in the summer of 2013 ahead of the play-off against Shakhter Karagandy.

It was a risky move, but they weren’t punished as they won the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

The giant Swede, who is now head coach of IF Gefle in his homeland, continued: “I’m not surprised there is interest in Dedryck Boyata.

“I think he has really improved in the past 18 months, and you can see his reading of the game is good. He is also inclined not to take as many risks as he used to.

“His performances at the World Cup, and the progress of Belgium, will also be enhancing his profile.

“I think he has been very solid at the heart of their defence, and he played well against England. He clearly has the trust and respect of Roberto Martinez.

“I have Belgium in my top-three list of potential World Cup winners.

“Of course, the negative to all of this, from the point of view of Brendan Rodgers, is that the player attracts attention.

“Yes, it may well increase his value in the transfer market, but Brendan, I’m sure, will not want to lose him.”

Celtic travel to Armenia to play Alashkert on July 11, and Norwegian champions, Rosenborg, lie in wait for the winners.

Mjallby remembers only too well the stresses and strains of this vital period.

“There is no room for error. Everyone has to be on their game,” he said.

“The good thing for Celtic is that they will have seven or eight of their regular players fit and available. That can keep the momentum going, the momentum they have displayed so brilliantly under Brendan in the past two years.

“Of course, they now have an extra tie to play and the potential is for eight games to reach the Champions League.

“It’s an extremely tall order to ask your players to perform so often in a very short pace of time, particularly when you are just back after the summer break.

“The other part of it all is the lack of information about the opposition.

“Yes, you can scout them and find out things, but there is usually very little time to get the fine detail.

“So, when you play teams from countries that are unfamiliar, you can be a wee bit short of the knowledge you’d like to have and that only adds to the worry.

“Your priority is always to keep it solid at the back, and make sure you are hard to score against. That’s why the defenders are so important.

“They are key to it all and need to be ready to perform and hit the required levels.”

Mjallby hopes to see his former club make it through for the third season on the trot and swell their financial coffers by another £30m.

He said: “The money is good, and offers the club extra financial stability to give you have the foundation to see you safe for many, many years.

“It also allows you to be creative in the transfer market, and push the boat out for the right player, as was the case for the huge transfer fee the club paid for Odsonne Edouard.

“For the manager and the players, it’s about enjoying the prestige and being involved with the very top teams.

“Getting through the qualifiers is not a straightforward job. Believe me, it’s very stressful. When you make it, it’s about joy – and relief.”

At the moment, Mjallby, also has the pleasure of watching his country in the World Cup Finals.

They play Switzerland in the last 16 and there is the potential to play England in the last eight.

He is excited about it all and said: “I think the game is maybe 55-45 in Switzerland’s favour.

“But we enjoy being the underdog, it suits us. We are a compact team and the players trust the manager and the system. They are loyal to the tactics.

“In our last game, we beat Mexico and that was the best performance I can remember from a Sweden national team. I was blown away.

“I don’t want to look too far head, but I’m aware we could play England. That would be something special. I played against them five times and never lost. Yes, I loved beating them.

“I’m also pleased for Mikael Lustig to be doing so well.

“He is a great lad, a happy person, and I want to see him going as far as possible with our country in this tournament. He deserves it.

“We signed him for Celtic six or seven years ago and it’s good to see dedicated professionals being rewarded.”