Rather than accept that Dinamo have their eye on Livakovic helping them pick up £25m from reaching the Champions League group stages- or maybe £12m less by reaching the Europa League through the Champions League Play-Off.
Over the course of four pre-season matches Rodgers has seen for himself the strengths and weaknesses that he has inherited from Ange Poostecoglou.
Ajeti made his debut in the 6-0 win over Reykjavic on August 18, came off the bench to score a late winner at Dundee United four days later but with Edouard was injured for the Champions League qualifier against Ferencvaros the Swiss internationalist remained on the bench.
Contracts are a complex business, wages per week are commonly quoted but bonuses and especially the loyalty ones underpin modern deals.
Could an enterprising Australian club be up for putting Mooy and Rogic together, it should be a winner at the turnstiles and provide all the incentive in the world for the emerging players coming out of the Academy.
Kennedy seems to be very highly rated and well connected despite waiting on his 40th birthday next month with an incredible breadth of experience packed into nine years of first team involvement.
Developing some flexibility and increased options will be welcomed by Rodgers but keeping three big money signings content when one is likely to be starting on the bench will test the man management skills of the Irishman
Money played a significant part in those decisions but so to does the lack of any pathway into first team football. That door has been closing ever since Kieran Tierney broke through in 2015.
Rodgers’ decision to return to Celtic was expected to come wrapped up with a massive transfer budget and an influx of new players but that clearly isn’t the message from the man himself.
Fenerbahce wants Livakovic by the end of this week at the latest. They gave him the “green light” to play two more games for the Blues – the second leg of the preliminary round of the Champions League against Astana, and the championship game against Gorica. After that, the direction…