Celtic will not spend frivolously over the summer, insists Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou hopes guaranteed Champions League football can open up some new markets if Celtic clinch the title, but he is not planning to rip up his transfer strategy and start again.

UEFA this week confirmed the Scottish champions will go straight into the group stages, with Celtic all but assured of the title if they beat Hearts on Saturday.

Rangers could join them by winning the Europa League, but Celtic will not start making short-term decisions on spending an estimated £40million windfall.

Postecoglou, whose side started in the Champions League qualifiers on July 20 last year, said: “It’s a great opportunity for us, not just to build, but we can structure our whole pre-season programme a little bit differently to what we have in recent years.

“There’s a whole host of things that go along with it and, should we get over the line and get direct qualification, it gives us a real good opportunity to strategically plan next season with some certainty.”

Postecoglou, who this week welcomed the appointment of Mark Lawwell as head of recruitment, added: “We know the areas we need to strengthen both on and off the field, and we have identified the areas that we need to recruit players in and get the squad to be stronger.

“I don’t think being in the Champions League changes that too much from my perspective. It may make us a more attractive proposition for players who want to come to our club.

“That might open up another market for us. But it’s not like we go from the club we are to a club that will spend on a different level.

“There’s still certain disciplines around that, and my belief has always been that you have a plan and you try to stick to it irrespective of what comes your way, and it has proved successful for us