Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is now not as frustrated with big exits from the Bhoys as he once was, highlighting that a lot of big talents will have a two or three year cycle at the club.
The club are losing two of last season’s most consistent performers this summer. Jota has already exited for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, while Carl Starfelt is on the brink of a switch to Celta Vigo.
Such transfers used to irk Rodgers, but having himself left Celtic for a new challenge at Leicester City and now returned for his second spell at the Bhoys, is more philosophical about these kinds of exits.
The Celtic manager said [The Scotsman]: “I think there’s an opportunity for Carl. A lot of these guys come in here and they have a two or three year cycle and then they look to move on. If they get the chance to move, not to a bigger club but to a more competitive league and it’s better for them economically, then naturally they are going to look at it.
“It was (more frustrating) in my first time here because, as someone who loved the club for a long time, I could never understand why someone would leave Celtic. But it’s the way of the world. I think the supporters now understand that and they understand the model of the club. History has shown that guys will come in and work really well. The real key to it all is to ensure that, behind that, there is a plan in place for when one of them does go. That’s the beauty of it.
“When most players leave here – and even to my own extent – you’re not leaving Celtic, you’re leaving the league. I left Celtic for the league, the competition. I’ve come back for Celtic, not the league.”
This is the reality of where the club is now. The previous manager made that very clear to supporters too. Celtic are endeavouring to be more ruthless in this area too having possibly kept one or two talents a bit too long through the nightmare 2020/21 campaign.
Starfelt’s exit is really not too dissimilar to what we witnessed with Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis. Once a player indicates they are keen to move on, for whatever personal or professional reason, it’s really better for Celtic that this is facilitated quickly and fairly.
As Rodgers suggests, really what is most important is that the club source quality replacements. Having already moved quickly to go after defensive talents in the wake of the Starfelt movement, in this case, it seems that is happening.
In other news, Gustaf Lagerbielke comments make it sound like Celtic deal is close.
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