Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has addressed the upcoming January transfer deadline, with the Hoops looking to sign players before tomorrow night’s deadline.
Key Departures Leave Gaps in Squad
Celtic have seen a number of high-profile exits this January. Kyogo Furuhashi’s £9 million move to Rennes has left a major gap in the forward line, with the Japanese striker scoring consistently in the first half of the season. Alexandro Bernabei has departed for Internacional, while Luis Palma has joined Olympiacos on loan.
Jota’s surprise return to Celtic after his time at Al-Ittihad and Rennes provides a much-needed attacking boost. However, with Odin Thiago Holm and Stephen Welsh both heading out on loan, squad depth remains a concern.
When asked if he will look to sign players before tomorrow’s transfer deadline, Rodgers said: (Sky Sports), “That is our plan. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes in order to do that, so we’re hopeful that we can. We want to have the strongest squad that we possibly can.
“We’ve lost a couple of players who were important for our squad, but also players have gone out on loan. So, we know we want to get into the market to have the strongest squad we can to finish off the season.”
Rodgers also acknowledged the challenges of doing business in January but remained optimistic.
He said: “It is, it always is. But I always think there are good players available in January. There’s always a mentality around that you can’t get good players, but if there is availability and we can afford it, then I would like to think that we can do that.”
With Greg Taylor and Adam Montgomery as the only recognised left-backs in the squad, Celtic may look to strengthen in that area. Up front, Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny are the only senior strikers following Kyogo’s departure, making reinforcements a priority.
