Former Celtic star Jan Venegoor of Hesselink has urged the club to ensure that replacements are lined up in case big money bids come in for their top stars.
The Hoops have a number of top players on their books, most prominently Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney, and the pair have both been linked with moves away from the club in recent months.
The young striker is said to be French side Marseille’s top target this summer, as they look to replace former Swansea City man Bafetimbi Gomis, while English giants Manchester United are said to be willing to offer £15million for the 20-year-old full-back’s signature.
With big sides threatening to snatch the club’s best talent, Venegoor of Hesselink insists that the club must make sure they have players lined up to replace them, as a big money bid may prove impossible to turn down.
He also suggests the club invest wisely, spending on cheaper, younger talent which can be developed in order to secure future success.
He told the Scottish Sun: “If a large offer comes in — say £25million for Dembele — then there is nothing you can do.
“If you sell a really big player for £30m, let’s try to get three players of £2-3m and they can grow, achieve their potential and then they can help your club progress in the Champions League and then be sold on.
“Sometimes you have to think a little bit differently and look to the future.”
The former Dutch international, who currently works as a scout for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, was an important part of the Celtic squad which reached the last 16 stage of the Champions League, scoring 34 goals in 78 appearances across all competitions.
He says that while reaching the group stage would prove to be a big achievement for the Hoops now, they need to do something different to compete with the top clubs, and he believes his model could help them get there.
“Simply getting into the group stage for Celtic is a big, big bonus,” Venegoor of Hesselink told the Scottish Sun.
“You need to try to progress all the time and maybe think a little bit out of the box as a club.
“The financial gap between the major leagues and the ones below has got wider and wider.
“One of the things that Celtic should do is think longer term about who they will bring in if they sell players.
“That’s the philosophy that can make the difference — and help them reach last 16.”
Celtic’s Champions League campaign kicks off on Friday with their qualifying clash away to Northern Irish side Linfield in Belfast.