Celtic chairman John Reid has hinted the club will be able to turn down big-money offers for their star men after releasing the latest impressive financial results.

Pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of 2007 were announced as £10.07million, down from the figures for the corresponding period 12 months previously but still hailed as "outstanding" by chief executive Peter Lawwell.

With the likes of Aiden McGeady, Scott Brown and Artur Boruc admired by other clubs, Reid insists Celtic are in a position of strength when it comes to player trading.

Rangers sold right-back Alan Hutton to Tottenham for a fee of around £9million last month, but Reid believes any player leaving Celtic could regret the decision.

Rangers decided the money for Hutton was too good to turn down, but Reid told BBC Radio Scotland: "We're not in the position Rangers are.

"You can't force players to stay, but we have over the past few years run a very good financial policy.

"It is my responsibility to make sure we stay within that comfort zone which gives financial stability to this club.

"We have got it. We have no desire to sell any of our players.

"I can't say they will never want away. Players sometimes do want away. I think sometimes they make a mistake when they go away from Celtic.

"I think sometimes they regret it and they miss the back-up and the family and the support that they get here.

"We can't force people to stay but we don't want anyone to go."

Celtic ranked 17th in the recently released 'money league', a study of annual revenue generated by clubs worldwide.

The position was satisfying for Celtic, who were the only club from outside the Italian, Spanish, English, German and French leagues to feature on the list.

But Reid admits the club will find it difficult to improve on that standing, given their income from domestic TV contracts amounts to around £2million, a tiny fraction of the sums their European rivals are pocketing.

"It's an unremitting struggle," Reid said.

"We come in 17th out of the top 20 in the world and I'm delighted and pleased with that, but I also know that if you add the minimum we would have got for playing in the [English] Premier League - coming bottom of the Premier League and getting £35million - if you add that to where Celtic presently are we automatically get into the top 10."

Celtic have no plans to become involved in a European 'super league' or to play competitive games abroad, but Reid maintains the club will always be looking at new ways to generate revenue.

"The potential at Celtic is huge and yes, because we're outside the big five leagues, we're in the Scottish league, it does constrain us," he said.

"On the other hand, we are where we are.

"My job is not to get too carried away with all the speculation that surrounds these grandoise plans - certainly keep your eye on the horizon, look for every opportunity to extend Celtic's reputation and our reach abroad.

"But where we are at the moment means that I have too big objectives: one, win the Scottish Premier League; two, keep Celtic as a major force in European football.

"I particularly expect us to keep our feet on the ground as well as keeping our eyes on the horizon."

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