BRENDAN RODGERS insists Adam Idah is going NOWHERE – until Celtic sign an adequate replacement.
The Republic of Ireland international striker is on the verge of sealing a £7million move to Championship club Swansea City.
But Rodgers is adamant there will be no deal until someone is signed to take his place, the identical point which was made in Alex’s Angle in CQN yesterday.
As the champions prepare for the first Glasgow derby of the season at Ibrox on Sunday, Idah missed training today with reports stating he was already in Wales for a medical.
The Hoops are pushing to get a deal for Anderlecht frontman Kasper Dolberg over the line with the clubs apparently haggling over a fee which is ranging from £7million to £8.5million.
SHAKE ON IT…Brendan Rodgers with Adam Idah as the striker comes off after scoring Celtic’s goal in the 1-1 draw at Ibrox in May.
Idah, who cost £9.5million from Norwich City last summer, has toiled for form since the start of the term and has yet to score a competitive goal. He also squandered the team’s first penalty-kick in the humiliating Champions League exit against Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan in midweek.
Rodgers, who had made the strapping attack-leader a priority signing a year ago, said: “There’s interest in Adam, but no-one can leave here unless we get players in to replace.
“It’s as simple as that.
“There have been negotiations and chat around it, but I have to have players in here before I can consider letting anyone go.
“I’m quite relaxed on it. I just need to see where we’re at over the course of the next couple of days and then we’ll assess it from there.”
JUST LIKE THAT…Brendan Rodgers explains the transfer situation. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
South Korean international winger Yang Hyun-jun is a reported £1.5million target for Birmingham City who already have ex-Celts Kyogo Furuhashi and Tomoki Iwate in their squad.
However, Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “It’s been ongoing for Yang for a little while. I understand it.
“When you’re a player who has probably been mostly used as a squad player over a couple of years, there comes a point in time when you maybe want to move on and play.
“But I’ve been unable to do that because we’ve needed Yang here.
“But I also know that if he does stay, he has a contribution to make because we need five, six wingers because of the number of games we play, the intensity that we want to play.
“But there has been interest in him. Yet again, I repeat, I can’t really do anything unless we have players in.”
