Brendan Rodgers has played down talk of Yang Hyun‑jun leaving Celtic after the winger scored in pre-season games against Newcastle and Ajax.
Rodgers noted the wide options are already thin, with Nicolas Kühn moving on, Jota ruled out until next year, and Marco Tilio reportedly set for a loan switch to Rapid Vienna. With no new winger signed so far and only three senior options out wide, Rodgers made it clear that Yang is staying put.
The Celtic boss made no bones about it, with the current lack of depth, there’s no chance of Yang being sold. He sees the player as an important part of the squad and wants to build quality around him.
Rodgers was firm in his stance, saying now is not the time to lose a starting winger. Yang, he said, is in the team for a reason and remains a key part of Celtic’s plans going into the new season.
He said: (RecordSport), “It’s always a challenge, I think, at a club like Celtic, whenever players have maybe been for a couple of seasons and they’re not quite established.
“Because then they want to go and play more. But certainly at this stage, where we’re at within the squad, it’s not something I can even entertain. You see he’s starting the games.
“And I see him as an important player for us in our squad. And once we can get the quality around him, then he’ll be a good player for us.
“It’s hard to say. At this moment in time, he’s a starting winger for us. So we’re not in a position to be moving him on. At this moment in time, it’s not even in our thinking really.“
The talk around Yang shows the tricky spot Celtic are in out wide. Injuries and exits have left Rodgers with few options beyond his main three wingers. If another offer comes in for Yang, keeping him could depend on whether the club brings someone else in before the window shuts.
Yang will no doubt feel the trust Rodgers has shown by starting him. That belief could help him kick on and keep delivering strong performances in the weeks ahead. His pre-season form makes it clear, as Rodgers sees it, that he should stay part of the squad.
Celtic could still look to add a new wide player, but Rodgers’ words show it needs to happen soon. Until that happens, Yang’s spot looks secure.
