WAGE OF ENTERPRISE Could a touch of imagination yet lead to Roy

GORDON STRACHAN'S determination to keep his own counsel on the issue of Roy Keane has inevitably led to much reading between the lines.

Perhaps the Celtic manager's silence suggests he is not particularly enamoured by the opportunity to recruit the 34-year- old Irishman.

Not so apparently, for Strachan has finally offered something other than a "no comment" on the speculation surrounding the Parkhead club's interest in Keane. The manager has revealed he fully endorsed the statement issued by Celtic after news of Keane's departure from Manchester United was announced.

The communique, full of praise for a "magnificent player", represented an open invitation for Keane to talk to Celtic about his long-standing desire to play for the club. Given Strachan's resolute refusal to discuss the issue, it seemed the statement put the manager in a difficult situation.

"Not at all, " countered Strachan. "I was fine with that. We all sat down and went through it." So, we must assume, Strachan would love the opportunity to sell Celtic to Keane. But at what price?

Debates about the merits of the signing have centred on Keane's salary. At Old Trafford he earned GBP90,000 a week;

a figure way too rich for the coffers at Parkhead. And even if you divided that sum by three, it could still represent an investment which might jeopardise the ongoing negotiations to keep Stilian Petrov at the club.

But there are ways around the financial conundrum should Keane actually desire to fulfil his often-stated ambition to wear a hooped jersey.

The Sunday Herald understands a verbal offer has already been made, but not from Celtic. Another club, probably from the Premiership, is prepared to formalise an offer in writing this week.

Perhaps that will end matters, for Keane's lawyer Michael Kennedy has suggested his client was "not yet prepared to accept he'll have to compromise" on wages.

But Celtic should not be entirely counted out of the equation just because they will not be able to match the salary that a Premiership club may offer. There are other ways to skin a cat, or whatever the Dutch equivalent of that saying is.

Rob Jansen, the Dutchman in question, knows a thing or two about structuring such innovative deals. The agent was involved in the deal which brought Frank de Boer to Rangers and kept Henrik Larsson at Parkhead for an extended spell and neither were based around GBP90,000-a-week pay cheques.

"It is not something that is used regularly. Maybe it is only one contract in 10, " said Jansen. "But in special cases you could solve issues in a creative way so that both the club and player are happy. It is absolutely true this is a way the Old Firm have signed players they might otherwise not have been able to sign."

De Boer is a prime example. The Dutch international arrived at Ibrox at the start of 2004 on a basic salary believed to be only GBP3,000 a week. The modest sum reflected the fact the player had already been guaranteed the proceeds of a payment to end his contract with Galatasaray and that he wanted a platform to prove he could still play for his national team.

Hence when Manchester United and Keane came to a decision to end his tenure at Old Trafford some six months early, it is fair to assume some financial recognition of the premature parting was made.

Indeed Keane may have already banked enough wages to take him through to next summer; reducing the burden on Celtic to break their wage structure to accommodate him.

Another question entirely, and the most likely stumbling block to any deal, is what happens next season, for both player and club may want a longer term arrangement than one which runs to the end of the current campaign.

Still there are inventive solutions.

When then Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod sat down with Jansen in the summer of 2001 he faced a dilemma.

Martin O'Neill's Celtic side had just won the treble and their star striker was naturally attracting interest from elsewhere.

But Larsson did sign a contract extension to stay at Parkhead, his salary gradually rising to around GBP40,000 a week. It was still less than he could have earned elsewhere, but McLeod and Jansen factored in another perk - a benefit game at the end of his tenure which would significantly swell the Swede's bank balance.

So Larsson stayed on. And then pocketed around GBP1m through a testimonial game against Seville before he left for the Nou Camp in 2004.

Maybe some questioned the morals of effectively asking the fans to pay out what the club could not afford to, but there were few signs among those who packed the stadium that night that they begrudged Larsson his money.

Keane and Celtic are a marketing man's dream. Strachan himself once joked the prospect of signing Keane would blow the roof off Parkhead and that observation, hypothetical at the time, now has huge resonance.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to one Irishman. And it is not Dermot Desmond. Keane has previously suggested he could never play against Manchester United, but with a string of Premiership clubs jostling for his signature, that understandable reticence may be tested.

He has also, of course, long declared his desire to play for Celtic. Now Strachan has finally confirmed, albeit in a roundabout way, that he would like the chance to persuade him of the merits of a move to Parkhead. And there are ways the deal could be structured without breaking the bank.

Interestingly, when Larsson moved to Barcelona, he did so for less money than he was earning at Celtic. But it fulfilled his lifetime's ambition.

Now Keane has to decide what really matters. Is it cash, or a coaching role or is it the chance to play for Celtic?

RACE OF CLUBS

Managerless Portsmouth have claimed they are in a queue of 40 clubs trying to sign Roy Keane. An exaggeration perhaps, but the intense interest in the former Manchester United man means Celtic face serious competition for his signature.

Portsmouth

Alain Perrin has gone and chairman Milan Mandaric says he wants, preferably, a British manager.

Perhaps an Irishman might do, although asking Keane to take on a player-manager job in a struggling team is surely too big a challenge.

West Brom

Bryan Robson knows Keane well and would relish the opportunity to add his grit. He's already spoken to his chairman about financing the deal.

"If Keane wants to come to West Brom, I will try to make it happen, " Robson said.

Wigan

Millionaire chairman Dave Whelan will finance a move for Keane if manager Paul Jewell can convince him to sign. That would be a coup at a club trying to establish itself at this level.

West Ham

Manager Alan Pardew has money at his disposal and has said he'd love to recruit Keane to add experience. "I won't dismiss signing Roy. He is the kind of player I'm looking at, " Pardew said.

Bolton

With Sam Allardyce fed up that five of his squad go to the African Cup in the new year, what price Keane to steer Bolton through that time?

"It would be difficult, but if we get an opportunity we'd like to talk to him, " he said.

Al-Ghalrafa

Qatar's Al-Ghalrafa are one of the few who could match Keane's wages, but surely the Irishman would prefer a British club where he could develop his coaching career?

Copyright 2005 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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