Celtic must ignore the Rangers recruitment drive just like we did amid £40million transfer splurge – Chris Sutton

Some Celtic fans might be looking at the Rangers recruitment drive across the city and starting to feel a bit nervous about the coming season. But the people who matter inside Celtic Park need to ignore what’s going on in Govan – just like we did in 2000.

Rangers took a bit of stick for taking their time to get going in the transfer market this close season but they are making up for lost time now. Ben Davies is the latest to arrive for decent money and undoubtedly big wages, and he follows the likes of Rabbi Matondo, Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak and Tom Lawrence. They might not be done yet either. But it’s nothing new.

Celtic fans fondly remember the summer of 2000 fondly. Presumably because that’s when I arrived. There were others too with Alan Thompson and Joos Valgaeren, Didier Agathe and Rab Douglas, followed by Neil Lennon a few months later as Martin O’Neill’s era got under way. People forget what Rangers did that summer. They spent absolute fortunes.

Huge amounts were thrown at the likes of Ronald de Boer, Fernando Ricksen, Bert Konterman, Peter Lovenkrands and Kenny Miller.

They also shattered the Scottish transfer record by signing my old Chelsea teammate Tore Andre Flo for £12m.

It must have been about a £40m outlay which sure puts this summer’s spree in to context.

But we didn’t bat an eyelid back then and Celtic’s shouldn’t now. It’s about what they do in the market and you’ve got to say Ange Postecoglou hasn’t got much wrong so far.

In terms of Rangers, there looks to be some decent signings on paper. We’ll have to wait and see but nothing is guaranteed.

We all thought Amado Diala was going to be a smash hit in these parts, but that didn’t quite work out.

Same goes for Aaron Ramsay. He was the greatest