Chris Sutton has questioned what was said about an element of Celtic’s recruitment policy in the club’s statement issued last weekend.
The Hoops published an unsigned statement late last Saturday evening to effectively pull the wool over supporters’ eyes about transfers, UEFA regulations and media reportage.
What they also confirmed is that while the board conduct transfer negotiations, Brendan Rodgers will always have the final say on who the club signs.
But with four of the summer recruits excluded from Rodgers’ Europa League league phase squad, Sutton has been left baffled.
What did Celtic statement say about Rodgers and signings?
Here’s exactly what was written on the subject by Celtic: “The recruitment process includes the identification of players, and the conclusion of the transfer.
“Ultimately, once a player has been identified, confirmed by the football manager and it is then supported by the Board in line with the Club’s financial model, the Club will pursue that target to seek to conclude the transfer within our agreed parameters.”
So if Shin Yamada, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey were all ‘confirmed’ by Rodgers, what has happened with the Europa League squad?
Sutton says there is a ‘breakdown’ between board and Rodgers
Writing in his Daily Record column, Sutton says the only explanation is that there is a disconnect in the recruitment process.
The ex-Celtic striker said: “It wasn’t so long ago Rodgers said the club was connected. But Celtic could not look any more disconnected right now.
“The ill-judged statement last weekend claimed the manager has full say on all of the signings.
“If that is the case then why are four of the summer arrivals not in the Europa League squad?
“There’s clearly been a breakdown in terms of the recruitment, whether it’s the players scouted, the board conducting the deals and the manager wanting the ones that have come in for Europe.”
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