Following Celtic’s unexpected cup defeat to Kilmarnock, Celtic legend Pat Bonner has voiced his expectations regarding the club’s transfer activities.
He believes that manager Brendan Rodgers will look to strengthen the squad before the transfer window shuts, especially with the Champions League on the horizon.
Bonner commented on Rodgers’ extensive knowledge of the English market and stated his belief that with the manager’s familiarity with the market, Celtic may look to utilise it.
“The thing is he’s been down in England, he knows that market really, really well. But it takes money and it takes commitment from players to come up here also,” Bonner said on BBC Sportsound.
Given the recent performance, Bonner feels that reinforcements are necessary to ensure Celtic’s competitiveness in the upcoming Champions League matches. “I would expect him to bring in at least two players before the Champions League to get them into a position where they’re going to play and make an impact,” he added.
Brendan Rodgers has done a lot of talking about the Champions League since he joined, and the way the squad are playing just now, it’s hard to envisage Celtic making the dent that the manager talked of.
Bonner’s comments underscore the urgency and the need for strengthening the squad, especially with the clock ticking down until the window shuts. “If he can’t do it with the squad he has here now, then he will definitely need to go to the market because that was not good enough,” he concluded.
It remains to be seen how Rodgers will respond in the coming weeks, it’s clear that the expectations are high for the Hoops to bounce back stronger, but to do so the board are going to have to put their money where their mouth is. Investment is much needed in this Celtic team.
