Brendan Rodgers highlighted the substantial financial gulf between Celtic and the football clubs based in England.

The disparity in financial muscle has been a longstanding issue for Celtic, even when compared to Championship teams in England. Over the years, this economic chasm has only seemed to widen.

To navigate these financial limitations, Celtic has strategically looked to other markets when scouting for talent. By offering better terms to players willing to relocate to Scotland, the club has managed to secure some key signings, differentiating itself from its current competitors.

Nevertheless, when it comes to European competitions, the picture looks a bit different. According to data sourced from Swiss Ramble, Celtic boasts a wage bill that surpasses Pot 1 team Feyenoord by £18 million. However, they lag behind Lazio by £25 million and are dwarfed by Atletico Madrid, whose annual wage bill is a staggering £156 million more.

This shows, that while there are teams, like Lazio on Atletico who operate on a higher budget, Celtic can still at least be competitive in Europe.

Commenting on this disparity, Rodgers stated on TalkSPORT: “It’s night and day difference. I came into here, with the greatest respect, and see some of the wages the boys are on. I obviously know the levels down in England, it is frightening really.”