CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers is approaching the upcoming winter transfer window with a strategic and long-term perspective, particularly in light of the Asian Cup, which will involve key players from his squad.
Yang, Oh, Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate could all be missing during January and February.
Rodgers emphasises the importance of looking within the club’s existing resources before seeking external solutions. He believes in the potential of the players in Celtic’s academy, suggesting that there could be significant talent ready to step up to the first team.
“A lot of thought has gone into this for us. The thing for us is it’s not a surprise, we knew it was there and we spoke about it in the summer leading into this window. We know what our ideas are for that. We have it in hand, ” as quoted by the Sunday Post.
“The first look is never outside – it must be from within. You never know, you might have a £15 or £20 million player in your academy. There is talent here, but it is when it is going to be ready. I have to find that out. If you can’t train when there is no one there, how are you going to play when there are 60,000? That is what my experience tells me. But if there is a player here I am pretty sure I’ll see him. And, if the answer is not to be found inside, then of course we look outside at loans or permanent deals.”
Despite the challenges faced in European competitions and an underwhelming summer transfer window, Rodgers is focused on moving forward and continuing to build the team.
It’s reassuring to hear the manager talk about the youth academy and looking there first before dipping into the transfer market. There is undoubtedly some quality in the B Team, with a few players also out on loan this season, getting some top experience.
