Brendan Rodgers has dismissed speculation of a rift between himself and the Celtic board, insisting there is no internal conflict despite growing scrutiny over the club’s summer transfer window.
With fan frustration boiling over in the wake of a goalless draw against Kairat Almaty and a lack of major signings ahead of a Champions League push, questions have been raised about the alignment between the manager and the club’s hierarchy. But Rodgers has firmly put those rumours to bed.
While Rodgers has made no secret of his desire for more aggressive recruitment and better preparation when it comes to replacing key players, he stressed that it’s about building a smarter transfer cycle, not boardroom drama.
“People try and look to find that conflict between me and the board or me and whoever – it really isn’t the case,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“You know, the board here at the football club of over many years managed the financial side of the game and run the club to an impeccable level.
“My job here as the football manager is to really drive and demand and for us to live in a cycle where we understand that we will lose some players, but that it doesn’t have this massive impact that it seems to sometimes do.
“And that we can just lose big players and then bring in other ones rather than to wait. So that cycle I want us to be in, but there’s certainly no conflict.
“Everyone at this club from the board to myself we want the very, very best.”
His comments come as the club continues to work on late transfer business, including a move for Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha, while juggling key injuries and the weight of European expectation.
It’s thought that Celtic are also in the market for a striker and a left-back, too.
Rodgers did confirm that the club would be looking internally to replace Alistair Johnston, who will be out until mid-November, after he picked up a hamstring injury midweek.
Despite the external noise, Rodgers is making it clear the lines of communication remain intact and focused on delivering success.
