‘He can attract’ – Celtic told making ‘box office’ signing could help lure top quality players to Parkhead

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Celtic are always looking to add quality to their squad.

Whether it’s a first-team player or a backroom addition, Celtic look for the best players or candidates possible to take the club to the next level.

With the Champions League up next season, the club’s recruitment this summer will be vital to ensuring Celtic’s progress in the competition continues.

And now, the club have been told that there is one signing they could make if Brendan Rodgers wants to continue to attract big names at the club, and that person is already at the club.

• READ MORE: Rangers reminded of Scottish Cup humiliation as SFA announce Celtic vs St Johnstone officials

Paul Hartley urges Celtic to keep ‘box office’ Brendan Rodgers

Paul Hartley was previewing Celtic’s Scottish Cup game against St Johnstone when he said that the only person his old club should be looking at signing right now is the Hoops gaffer.

Hartley told The National [print edition page 38], “Brendan is box office, I think that’s what we need here. We need to always try and talk our game up and then we’ve got to have the best managers possible for that.

“So, I think it would be really important that, if they could keep him, then it’s good for everybody, Celtic and Scottish football. I think Brendan would be the most important signing of the summer for Celtic.

“I think since Brendan came back, there were a lot of eyebrows raised, obviously, about how he left the first time.

“Since he’s come back, he’s shown the quality that he has as a manager. There were a lot of fans when he came back who didn’t want him back, but he’s shown how good a manager he is and how well-respected he is. He’s always been a top-class manager.”

Keeping Brendan Rodgers will help Celtic sign ‘top quality players’

Not only that, Hartley has also warned that if Celtic want to continue to attract the best-possible players then having Rodgers on board longer-term will be absolutely vital to that.

Hartley continued, “In his first period here, he was outstanding and then, obviously, he left for whatever reason.

“Going to the Premier League, that can happen with players. If they’ve got an opportunity, then they’ve got to try and take that. Coming back, he’s shown how good he is.

“They need to rebuild the squad a wee bit again. He spoke about that last week after the St Johnstone game and he wasn’t too pleased with the performance and rightly so. You’ve always got to try and improve and get better, especially domestically and on the European stage.

“If Celtic could keep Brendan, then obviously he can attract the top players, that’s for sure.”

Rodgers has managed to attract players of the calibre of Kasper Schmeichel, Arne Engels and Auston Trusty to the club this season.

If improvements are to be made in Europe then better players than what Celtic already have right now will be crucial to that.

Rodgers has the reputation of an elite manager top players will want to play for and extending his deal beyond next summer at Celtic Park seems like an absolute no-brainer.