The Northern Irishman explained how the January transfer window can be successful
Brendan Rodgers has disputed the concept that paying high transfer prices guarantees Celtic the finest players.
Supporters hoped for a marquee signing in the summer, but Rodgers has been content with the players who have come in and strengthened the squad he inherited. The January transfer window is approaching, but the manager will not be “begging” players to come since he insists on paying cash for individuals who want to move to Parkhead.
When asked about upcoming signings, the Northern Irishman was pragmatic, stating that he also intends to trim his bloated 32-man team. He recognizes that some players may go permanently and others will go on loan before he can move to bring in new faces.
He said, “We always know what we want; the plan was that when we sat down in the summer, we understood where we were, and of course some players then moved on that you maybe didn’t expect to. We are also well aware of the Asian Cup coming up, so nothing surprises us with that.
“For me, it’s about getting players in that are going to improve us and be better than what we have, and that’s important. We have a lot of young players that are here to develop and grow, but you also need players for the present, and that’s what we will look at.
“My job is to develop the football team, and I want the best team possible on the field, but it will always be within the conditions of the club, and every manager will be the same. You strike to get the best possible players available to improve your performance level, so hopefully we will be able to do that.
“January is a difficult window; of course there is always quality available, but it’s about whether it’s affordable for us, and that is the challenge. Previously, I have been able to do well in the January window when players have been available, so it’s something that has been ongoing over the past few months looking at the possibility of players we might be able to bring in.
“But I repeat, we have a squad of 32 that we will need to bring down as well as bring in quality players, but I am very comfortable that by the summer the squad, in terms of numbers and quality, will look how I want it to. We have to see if the players that are available for us to bring in will improve the squad we have, so I can’t sit here and give an exact number of how many will go out and how many will come in, but there is always movement.
“Everyone will attribute quality to how much you pay, but that is not always the case; Virgil Van Dijk came here for £2 million and was of top quality; it’s always a challenge because a lot of players will want to play in a more prestigious league.” But I believe that what Celtic provides is very unique in terms of being able to come and play for rabid fans while also developing as a player, becoming a winner, living in a fantastic city, and having many great players and managers come here.
“We always work hard, but we won’t beg players to come. This is an incredible club to play for, and if you are lucky enough to work and play, then you will get the sense of that.”
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