Stephen McGowan has named five positions that Brendan Rodgers is looking to strengthen in the summer transfer window.
Performing a flip it seems that only the right-back and wing positions aren’t priorities as the Irishman looks to stamp his own image on the first team squad.
The recruitment events of last summer remain something of a mystery but after being knocked out of the Champions League away to Lazio Rodgers stated that his initial assessment was that the squad he inherited required four quality additions.
Nine permanent signings were made, however you want to dress it up none of them were improvements on last season’s side with only Luis Palma making any real contribution to the double winning side.
In the final SPFL matches none of last summer’s signings made the starting XI with fans and management hoping for a very different approach to transfer business this summer.
McGowan tends to be closer to the nitty gritty than most, writing in the Daily Mail he claims:
Brendan Rodgers will look to move a number of players out this season and is in the market for reinforcements at goalkeeper, left-back, central defence, midfield and attack. The Parkhead club are in talks with Benfica over a £3.5million permanent deal for Paulo Bernardo.
The report from McGowan leads with Celtic’s interest in Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham who has an £8m price tag despite entering the final year of his contract.
While that seems a high fee in Celtic terms it isn’t much more than the combined fees for Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki who were kept out of the Celtic side by Liam Scales.
Securing permanent transfers for Adam Idah and Paolo Bernardo plus signing a goalkeeper would appear to be the transfer priorities, after that it is a case of raising the quality throughout the side.
According to Football Scotland, Celtic are locked in negotiations with Sparta to sign goalkeeper Peter Vindahl Jensen.
With the dust settling from the successful conclusion to the domestic season it seems that moves are being stepped up improve the Starting XI for next season.
For the first time Celtic will play eight matches, against eight different opponents which should give them a greater chance of progress compared to group stage draws which have included Manchester City and Barcelona one season, followed by PSG and Bayern Munich the next.
Four matches against Pot 3 and Pot 4 opponents should provide a better chance of picking up points but only if the squad has a significant boost in quality.
It seems clear that Rodgers has no desire to add further projects to his squad, the coming weeks will determine whether the club can deliver the quality needed to match the ambitions of their manager.
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