Neil Lennon sends Celtic board blunt transfer message after European exit

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Neil Lennon says Celtic need to focus on the January transfer window after getting knocked out of Europe.

Brendan Rodgers and his players faced a must-win game in Rome against Lazio on Tuesday night, but like the same old story keeps rolling out, it was yet another defeat in the Champions League.

As a result, Celtic have one point to their name heading into the final fixture and Neil Lennon feels the team has gone ‘backwards’, as he told TNT Sports (28/11/23 at 7:45 pm).

That’s why he was keen to send a message to the Celtic board that they need to start thinking about the January transfer window and improving the squad.

Neil Lennon wants players brought in this winter to ‘bed them in’ for next season and also looking at ‘trimming’ the squad.

The money is there, everyone inside Parkhead knows that, it’s just a case of Brendan Rodgers getting what he wants.

Celtic January transfer window

“Last season, they had two points, so you are thinking to use that experience for this season,” said Lennon. 

“But if anything it’s not going forward, it has stalled, if not, it has gone backwards. I know from my own experience as a player and a manager, it is a work in progress. 

“Now the thinking is ‘what do we do in January?’ The onus is to win the league – and can you trim the squad in January? All this thinking has to go into now.

“It is difficult to do business in January, but try to bring players in and bed them in between January and the end of the season. And hopefully, win the league and then look to improve again.”

Time to show ambition

From the players that have come in over the years, from new boy Luis Palma to perhaps the best player in Scotland right now, Matt O’Riley.

They have been very shrewd, niche and financially rewarding purchases. That shows that the recruitment teams and the powers that be have a very good eye.

But bringing in a few big-money stars, not to win the title, that has proven to be a walk in the park for many years now, apart from that one season the team decided to hibernate. 

But bringing in those big-money stars to push the team in Europe because the rewards would be out of this world.