Brendan Rodgers has reiterated that the right time for Celtic to strengthen the first-team squad is now, off the back of a successful treble-wining season.
Celtic have made five new signings this summer but arguably none of them outright strengthen the manager’s starting eleven when everyone is fit. The added depth is welcome but fans are craving a signing or two that really shows the Bhoys mean business.
With the club also selling Jota to Al-Ittihad for a fee of around £25m, there’s an expectation that the club have the resources to go out and sign a high calibre of player.
Rodgers has already ruled out spending £15m-£20m on individuals, but that doesn’t mean talents can’t arrive for big money in a Celtic and Scottish football context. And the manager is ready to pursue players in his priority positions between now and the end of August.
Speaking in a media conference today, the Celtic manager said [Celtic TV]: “It was key for me to come in and assess and give that a period of time. I think there are clear positions that are priorities for us to improve on but I think the team and the squad are in a really, really good position. I’m fresh in, so I needed to assess that and see it over a period of time.
“Over time we will look to improve the squad further. It’s the best time to do it, whenever you have had success. Because success is that moving target, it keeps moving and the challenges this year will be even greater so we have to ensure we have the squad that can match that.”
That all sounds positive from my perspective. Having previously said signings wouldn’t start to be made until after the opener against Ross County on Saturday, Rodgers is now positioning to ramp up recruitment and address his big needs in the Celtic team.
As always, judgements will be made on the club’s transfer window after it actually shuts. So let’s see what is in store this month and keep our fingers crossed that crowd-pleasing deals are on the way.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers hands hope to David Turnbull; Celtic boss left impressed.
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