CRAIG BURLEY has told TalkSport he believes Celtic would be making a real statement if the bhoys go all out and try to land Rafa Benitez from Newcastle.

The Spaniard has been linked with the Celtic job for the past month has talks between himself and Newcastle continue.

Burley thinks there would be no point in bringing in a manger of Rafa’s class without loosening the purse strings so it would have to be under the right circumstances.

It all comes down to ambition as far as the former Celtic player is concerned. Do the board want to make a massive statement or will they go for a safe pair of hands?

There is more than one route to ten in a row but the club must be careful of how they go about achieving it. There’s anxiety among the support that one wrong move and it could all fall apart.

For Burley, he’d love to see Rafa at Celtic Park.

“I think Neil Lennon given the money could manage the club into a much better position.” Burley admitted as cited by SunSport.

“I just think if Celtic want to make a statement, they have to go after somebody like a Benitez or somebody with a bit of ilk who has got a CV.

“He’s a Champions League winner, I think he won the league in Spain when he was managing there. We’re talking top drawer managers.

“The fact that Benitez is doing what he’s doing at Newcastle is pretty amazing I think, particularly the second half of the season.

“But I just wonder if Celtic’s ambitious are that, that’s the thing. And if their ambitions are not that, then it would be give Neil the job because Neil would want the job and they could probably get away with not giving him much money at all.

“But if you bring a big time manager in like Benitez, you’re going to have to give the guy money or it’s a waste of time.”