Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged that Celtic’s summer transfer business isn’t progressing as quickly as he’d hoped, admitting that he’s still working to convince the club’s hierarchy of the urgency in bolstering the squad.

Rodgers, speaking ahead of Celtic’s league opener, was asked whether this window would see fewer last-minute signings, referencing last year’s dramatic deadline-day capture of Arne Engels.

But the manager gave a frank assessment of the current situation, suggesting his calls for reinforcements haven’t yet landed.

“Yeah, I don’t really know,” Rodgers told CeltsAreHere. I don’t conclude the deals. There’s always time lapses on them for different reasons, but I think that come the end of that period, of course we would have loved to get players in earlier.

“There’s no doubt I would have liked to have had players in now, but that’s not the case. So, I’m not going to kill my own joy and overthink stuff. I focus on what’s here.

“We know the work that we need to do and it’s my responsibility to convince the club that we really need them and clearly I’m not doing that job as well as maybe what I can, but I will continue to pursue that because it’s something that’s really important for us.”

Celtic’s only attacking additions this summer has been Shin Yamada and Callum Osmand, with key areas on the wing and in defence still in need of depth.

With the transfer deadline now a month away and Champions League qualifiers looming, the pressure is mounting behind the scenes for Rodgers to get the support he feels is required.

It seems that Rodgers is on the same page as many of the fans, though. He’s frustrated at the lack of business, and has hinted that the club need to convince players to sign, something a manager with four fit wingers – one of which is on the verge of a move away after playing 28 minutes for the club, another inconsistent, another was mainly deployed as a striker towards the end of last season and the other is 34 and scored one leage goal last term – shouldn’t have to do.