CELTIC have strengthened their resolve to retain Gary Hooper after selling Victor Wanyama for £12.5milliion.

With a bumper cheque banked even before a ball is kicked this season, £28m swelling the kitty from last season's run in the Champions League, and a place in the lucrative group stages once again up for grabs over the next month, the Parkhead club are in a very comfortable position.

Which is why, even if QPR do follow up their enquiry for Hooper (left) with a £5m offer, the Hoops will feel no compulsion to sanction the sale.

The striker, who didn't start last night's friendly in Germany against Union Berlin, was the subject of a higher bid from Norwich in January, and even that did not match Celtic's valuation of the man who hit 31 goals last season.

Southampton and Hull have also been involved in the battle to try to take the 25-year-old back south, where he can realise his ambition of playing in the Premier League. But they have also had their approaches and offers repelled.

Now QPR boss Harry Redknapp believes Hooper is the man to fire his side back to the top division.

But, even with the hitman rejecting the offer of a new contract to the replace the one which is in now in its final year, his value to Celtic is worth much more than £5m.

If Hooper can fire them into the Group Stages of the Champions League – their first qualifier is on Wednesday against Cliftonville in Belfast – it would be worth at least £15m.

Having lost Wanyama, boss Neil Lennon does not want to see another of his key players exit the club.

With the massive profit made from the Kenyan's sale, even with Lennon setting his sights on adding to the £4.6m purchase of Amido Balde and Virgil van Dijk, there is less pressure than ever to sell anyone the manager wants to retain.

Hooper's situation could be reviewed at the end of next month, when Celtic will know if they have successfully negotiated two qualifying rounds and a play-off to progress to the group stages of Europe's premier competition, or are planning for a campaign in the Europa League, where the income is around only 12% of that to be made in the Champions League.

French defender Steven Mouyokolo is expected to be offered a short-term deal after impressing on trial.