BRENDAN RODGERS insists Celtic’s main ambition must remain focused on events on the pitch – and not just about the club making a pile of cash to “build our pot”.
The Hoops boss is urging the champions’ hierarchy to splash serious money to strengthen the squad with the deadline due on Friday at 11pm.
Celtic will discover their Champions League opponents after Thursday’s draw and then they face Philippe Clement’s Ibrox outfit at Parkhead on Sunday in the first derby encounter of the season.
IN…£9.5million Adam Idah with Brendan Rodgers.
IN…£3.5million midfielder Paul Bernardo.
IN…Denmark’s legendary goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The fixtures will come thick and fast with the team assured of European football after the turn of the year in the new set-up in the money-spinning elite competition.
With Matt O’Riley finalising his £30million move to Brighton, Rodgers is continuing his pursuit of reinforcements.
The Irishman watched his team win their fourth consecutive match of the new campaign with a 3-0 success over St Mirren at rainlashed Paisley yesterday – and then immediately turned his focus to bringing in fresh talent.
He said: “It’s a very important week for us. In terms of the context of the game next week, we’re in a really, really good place.
“But over the context of the season, it’s really important for us. As a football club, we want to develop, we want to improve.
“We can’t be happy just to make our money and build our pot because the bottom line is on the pitch.
OUT…Matt O’Riley heading for Brighton in record £30million deal.
“The supporters, they pay the money. I look back to the Covid times here, the Celtic supporters sold the stadium out with season tickets and they weren’t allowed in it.
“So, we have the duty to put the best team on the pitch. That’s what we’ll do and look to do.”
Asked about the rebuilding process and the restructuring of the player pool, Rodgers, speaking to the Scottish Sun, answered: “It’s taken a bit longer than I would have liked as a manager.
“That’s my brutally honest answer on it.
“But if we can do it by Friday, strengthen the squad, we’ll be in a really, really good place.
“It’s important that we do get that. And I have belief that we will do.”
Quizzed about the delays in bringing in recruits, Rodgers added: “There are a number of things I won’t go into here.
THOUGHTFUL…Brendan Rodgers before the 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley yesterday.
“But it’s definitely something – having come back in and gone through three windows now – we have to put right as a football club.
“We shouldn’t have been getting into this last week in the position we’re in.
“That’s the reality. However, that’s something for us for after this window.
“As I said, we’ll get the players in that we want. We don’t need to manufacture our own stress when there’s no need.
“We don’t need to do that. So, we’ll be calm this week. We’ll look to get the players in who can strengthen us.”
