There’s been plenty of talk that winning the league and qualifying for the Champions League will unlock the spending Celtic need this summer. But that plan leaves too many questions unanswered, and plenty of risk.

Celtic have known since around January that they were on course to win the league and would head into the summer play‑off round. Yet no serious incoming business has materialised.

That means Celtic could go into two of their biggest games of the season, the Champions League play-off ties at the end of August, without a fully strengthened squad, despite having had months to prepare.

If Celtic hold off on spending until qualification money arrives, they could head to Ibrox on August 31st with a squad weaker than the one that lost twice to Rangers last season. That’s a major concern for Brendan Rodgers ahead of the first Glasgow Derby of the campaign.

To make matters worse, the second leg of the Champions League play‑off takes place on either the 26th or 27th of August. Depending on when it’s scheduled, Celtic could have as little as four days to complete key transfer business before the window slams shut at 7pm on September 1st.

Last summer saw Adam Idah, Arne Engels and Auston Trusty arrive only in the final days. Celtic arguably overpaid, perhaps by a doubling of value, compared to if they’d signed them earlier. That was the price of leaving business to the end. A repeat this summer carries similar risk.

Champions League qualification is far from guaranteed. Celtic may be seeded for the play-off round, but going into those games with only three first-team wingers and no proper Kyogo replacement still shows poor planning, even if signings arrive in the coming weeks.

Waiting on Champions League money to strengthen the squad is a big risk. If Celtic don’t qualify, they could start the season short on quality. Even if they do, there’s little time to get deals done, and that usually means overpaying. Going to Ibrox with a thin squad would leave Rodgers short of options and fans worried.

Champions League qualification would help, but the planning needs to happen now. Celtic can’t afford to wait until the final days of August to build the team for the biggest games of the season.

Brendan Rodgers’ current contract runs out at the end of this season. After guiding the club to the Champions League knockout stages and delivering another double, there’s been little in the way of marquee signings to back him.

Kyogo has been sold, while Nicolas Kühn and Greg Taylor are both out the door, yet there’s been no clear reinvestment to reflect the effort he and the players put in last year.

With the club dragging its heels in the transfer market, you have to ask what reason Rodgers has been given to stick around beyond this campaign.