Brendan Rodgers has leapt to the defence of three signings he made in 2024.
The Celtic boss has had plenty of sympathy from corners of the fanbase due to the lack of urgency in the transfer window.
Seven players have joined Celtic this summer and more arrivals are needed, but Rodgers has still faced criticism for how the money has been spent.
However, the 52-year-old is keen to bat away those critics and praise the impact of three players.
Brendan Rodgers singles out Celtic trio for their impact
Three players who have been under the microscope more than any other Celtic stars are Auston Trusty, Adam Idah and Arne Engels.
Trusty (£6m), Idah (£9m) and Engels (£11m) cost a combined total of £26m so represented a large sum of Celtic’s budget.
All had their flaws but Rodgers believes they offered more than people thought.
He told the Scottish Sun: “Celtic did as well as they’ve done for a decade and those guys really helped us.
“Auston Trusty was outstanding in the Champions League. Arne Engels, his running power, was really helpful for us, he’s a young player who will get better.
“Adam Idah scored over 20 goals and still has improvements to make. It depends on perspective.”
Brendan Rodgers is adamant he is responsible for Celtic signings
One of the criticisms about Celtic’s 2025 transfer window is that some of the signings haven’t been authorised by Rodgers.
Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada were the duo that sparked these concerns but the Hoops manager is adamant that he has the final say on all players joining.
“Club signings, with the greatest respect, I don’t care where they come from,” he said.
“People know the model over a number of years.
“There are players who come in who are maybe not expected to hit the ground running, but some of them do. Either way, I will be responsible for that.”
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