Rodgers' Perspective on Celtic's Transfer Activities

There was barely a flicker of enthusiasm from Brendan Rodgers when he was asked about Celtic’s transfer activities at lunchtime by Sky Sports.

Supporters are well used to the scenario as time slips by, targets stay put as desperation sets in as it gets towards deadline day watching Sky Sports News and waiting for the yellow ticker to see who turns up a month too late.

After 31 days of the transfer window Celtic have addressed the key area of concern going into the window. Jota has been signed, alongside Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest there are four wingers to base attacks through.

It is long past the stage when Luis Palma and Yang Hyun-jun can step in and have any sort of positive contribution, not even in the SPFL Premiership.

The requirement to sign a winger was on the assumption that no-one significant would be leaving- unfortunately the final whistle against YB Bern was followed by news that Kyogo Furuhashi was on his way to Rennes.

Debunking the comforting theory that January is a notoriously difficult window to do business in, some clubs can sign the first choice striker from a club still deeply involved in the Champions League.

Celtic went into the window with two strikers and two left-backs, going into February they have one of each.

There was always the prospect that Barcelona could recall Alex Valle, that happened this week and again Celtic didn’t have a successor lined up.

It seems that Maeda is the other striking option with Liam Scales the back-up to Greg Taylor, stretching a thin squad even further.

The old mantra of emerging from the window stronger than at the start is seriously under threat.

🍀 “My view and hope has always been that we would be stronger coming out of the window…”
Brendan Rodgers on Celtic’s transfer latest and is there any chance of Kieran Tierney returning this month? pic.twitter.com/6aiVYqcI3h
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 31, 2025

Asked about transfers this month Rodgers has had a stock response about everyone working hard and aiming to emerge stronger.

Only once in recent times has that been the case, Celtic entered January having just signed Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi, a fortnight into the new year Matt O’Riley joined them.

Hatate and O’Riley were bedded in by February 2, played a key role in winning the Glasgow Derby 3-0 with the club barely looking back since then.

That anniversary comes around on Sunday with a depleted squad of players preparing for three games in seven days with only Jota added to the playing pool.

The car crash window wasn’t expected when Paul Tisdale was appointed as Head of Football Operations in October, joining the club together as he links the demands of the manager with the budgets from the Board of Directors.

Clearly the new set up isn’t working. Tisdale clearly has the contacts, the data and the analysis which suggests that Michael Nicholson isn’t capable of delivering targets.

During the summer the delayed negotiations led to inflated fees being paid for Adam Idah and Arne Engels, the selling clubs both know that Celtic don’t have a plan B waiting in the wings. No O’Riley lined up if Riley McGree opts for Middlesbrough.

The limitations of Nicholson are again looking costly, drawing Bayern Munich is a sigh of relief since no January signing was likely to increase the chances of beating the Germans.

Celtic will have Champions League qualifiers to contend with in August, now is the time to bed players in for those matches but forward planning or succession planning isn’t a topic in the Celtic boardroom.

Rodgers doesn’t look fully on board with the failures of the transfer window, halfway through his three year contract it doesn’t seem like there is much boardroom enthusiasm to get him onto a new, extended contract.

Most fans have witnessed it all to many times before.

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We are weaker now than we were at the start of the window. Kyogo and Valle being allowed to leave with no sign of replacements looking more idiotic by the day!
— DANNYBHOY88 (@Danielh15215783) January 31, 2025