Rodgers slams Celtic’s transfer window strategy

Brendan Rodgers has taken aim at Celtic’s recruitment strategy, insisting that it will need to be overhauled regardless of what happens in the final week of the transfer window.
While remaining confident that his squad will be bolstered in time for next Sunday’s derby against Rangers and the onset of the Champions League, the Parkhead manager has been left exasperated by the slow pace of progress this summer.
Celtic’s financial position could not be healthier, the club having recently alerted the stock market that they plan to report “significantly higher than expected” cash reserves in their next set of half-year accounts due to be lodged next month.
With Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton & Hove Albion — worth an initial £26million which could rise to £30m, a Scottish record fee received — due to go through at the start of the week, the Scottish champions will bank further riches alongside the funds recently brought in for fringe players such as Oh Hyeon-Gyu, Liel Abada, Bosun Lawal and Sead Haksabanovic.
The only incoming activity so far has been last season’s loanees Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah, returning on permanent deals in addition to two new goalkeepers, Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo.
Clashes over the club’s transfer policy were key to Rodgers becoming disaffected during his first spell in charge, and after Sunday’s 3-0 win over St Mirren, the Northern Irishman gave the strongest signal yet that his patience is wearing thin once more.
“There are a number of things I won’t go into here. But it’s definitely something — having come back in and gone through three windows now — we have to put right as a football club. We shouldn’t have been getting into this last week in the position we’re in.
“That’s the reality. However, that’s something for us for after this window. We’ll get the players in that we want [but] we don’t need to manufacture our own stress when there’s no need.
“As a football club, we want to develop, we want to improve. We can’t be happy just to make our money and build our pot because the bottom line is on the pitch. That’s the bottom line.
“The supporters, they pay the money. I look back to the Covid times here, the Celtic supporters sold the stadium out and they weren’t allowed in it. So we have the duty to put the best team on the pitch.
“That’s what we’ll do and look to do. It’s taken a bit longer than I would have liked. But if we can do it by Friday, strengthen the squad, we’ll be in a really, really good place. The team is in a good place, mentally, tactically, how they’re playing. But we want to strengthen and have that depth.
“It’s taken a lot longer than I would have liked as the football manager. That’s my brutally honest answer on it. But I will repeat this. If we get them in, then there’s still a long season ahead. So it’s important that we do get that. And I have belief that we will do.”
Asked whether he expected to be handed the O’Riley money to reinvest, Rodgers said: “I just hope we can at least get some of it,” before stating that the Denmark midfielder’s Scottish experiences had equipped him to star for any club in the world.
“I have to say, as a coach who’s coached many players, he did everything he can to be the best player he can be. And his behaviour, his decency all the way through pre-season was absolutely a joy to see. From a young player who’s got the riches of the Premier League in sight, he never lost his focus for Celtic.
“And even right up to the very last day, we’d finished, we had a lighter session on his last day, but he stayed out to do that extra little bit with the coaches. He has just been an absolute joy to work with.
“And when you work with a player like that, you want them to succeed. Celtic won’t be the end game for some of these players, but it’s going to give them so much. And he leaves here now a winner, a better footballer and ready to play for any team in the world.
“When you play for Celtic, and the pressure, and you become a winner, he can go on and play for most teams in the world now. His behaviour was second to none. He’s a good guy and I hope he does well. And we continue, because that’s an opportunity now for some other players to come into here and take that on.
“It’s the model of the club. And I think for any player coming in, you only have to look at the history of it. For some players, Celtic is the end game. Callum [McGregor], James [Forrest], these guys, they love being here; they’ve had opportunities to move, but have stayed happy in Scotland. They’re happy playing for Celtic and happy winning trophies.
“For other players that maybe are outside of that, it’s different, but that’s OK. We have to accept that. But there’s an opportunity here. The experience that you can gain on and off the pitch will be unrivalled. The opportunity to play in a dominant team and deal with pressure.
“Because, OK, it might not be the Premier League up here, but in terms of pressure and resilience and mental fortitude, that’s at the very highest level. And if you can cope with that here, you can cope with it anywhere.
“Matt will find a difference, leaving here, the pressures and going to Brighton. But for any player coming, it’s a wonderful opportunity to develop your game.”
Celtic have been linked with a season-long loan move for Álex Valle, the 20-year-old Barcelona left back, as they bid to secure competition for Greg Taylor.