Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has addressed supporters’ concerns over the failure to sign a replacement for Kyogo in the winter transfer window.
Following the loss of the Japanese forward to Rennes eight days ago, the Hoops did not bring in a striker to replace him.
Rodgers had previously revealed his desire to sign a replacement before the window closed, but that did not materialise, leaving a number of supporters angered by what they see as a transfer window that has left Celtic in a worse position than they were on January 1st.
Despite Jota rejoining the Hoops, he is not a striker, and with Kieran Tierney not returning until the summer, it was a window that seemed to promise so much but ultimately did not deliver. Celtic are now reliant on Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny as backups to Adam Idah, which is not ideal, especially considering the £10 million the Hoops will receive for Kyogo from Rennes.
Rodgers was firm in how he answered questions over the lack of a replacement for Kyogo.
He said: (Celtic FC), “The supporters will look and see a top striker going out, a legendary striker, and we haven’t replaced it, so I understand that. Could we have done better? Yeah, we could. However, as I said, we work with the players that are here now, and I think that is the focus.”
It’s not ideal for Rodgers, Celtic, or supporters. The Irishman wants the best possible players at the club, and while no one will blame him for everything that has gone wrong in the transfer window, he shares similar ambitions with supporters regarding the direction Celtic should take.
This has been clear in the Champions League with the results he has managed to achieve this season. However, take Kyogo out of the team, and those results are unlikely to be repeated.
Kyogo was Celtic’s talisman and go-to player for so long, and with no player signed to replace him, the Hoops are now a striker down. They will rely on Idah to guide the team through the second half of the season, and no one is doubting what he can do given his heroics last season.
However, the lack of depth upfront is a real problem for Rodgers and Celtic.
