With two days of the transfer window left Celtic have strengthened attack with the loan acquisition of Timo Weah and Oliver Burke, and the permanent signing of Vakoun Issouf Bayo. Ukrainian winger, Maryan Shved, is in discussions with the club but as Brendan Rodgers explained, we have many wingers at the club right now, so it is likely that if the deal concludes, Maryan will be loaned back to Ukraine until Burke and Weah depart at the end of the season.
Brendan also clarified the position in central defence, where we have two players to replace for the Champions League qualifiers, but Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic will retain their positions until the end of the season. A lot of work in June for this issue.
The other position that remains active is right back. Michael Lustig has been with the club seven years but is likely to depart at the end of the season, with injuries taking their toll. I know there are a few options active but nothing yet concluded, however, this will be the main focus for the next two days.
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From The Hootsman- Brendan seems pretty aware of the limitations.
“Brendan Rodgers has admitted Celtic are unable to compete financially with even English second tier clubs in the transfer market. As the clock ticks down on the January window, Rodgers has outlined the difficulties faced by the Scottish champions as they try to strengthen their squad for the second half of the season. Borussia Dortmund defender Jeremy Toljan has been linked with Celtic.
The Celtic manager remains hopeful of making further recruits before tomorrow’s midnight deadline, with Borussia Dortmund’s out of favour Jeremy Toljan emerging as a potential solution to his search for a new right-back. The 24-year-old moved to Dortmund from Hoffenheim for £6.3 million in 2017 and is under contract at the Bundesliga leaders until 2022. But Toljan has not featured in the Dortmund first team this season and is available on loan. Rodgers’ previous observations of Celtic’s failure to improve their squad over a number of transfer windows have fuelled a growing perception he is at odds with chief executive Peter Lawwell and the club’s board over their recruitment strategy. But as he looks to get at least one more deal over the line this month, Rodgers insists there are a number of factors which contribute to any failure to secure the standard of signing targets he identifies. “Of course, you find the player and, whether fair or not, I’m not saying then it goes to Peter and he doesn’t do it,” said Rodgers. “That’s not really the case. Because sometimes it changes from an agent’s perspective or a club’s perspective. “You’ve maybe agreed on something initially and then it changes. It’s a whole, difficult, complex dynamic. But it’s about trying to find the players you can bring in. That’s always the challenge. “The climate and the financial side of the game elsewhere, in Europe and down south in both the Premier League and Championship, is making it really difficult. “You get Championship clubs who will pay players £50,000 a week. That’s impossible for us to compete with. “You learn to try and have patience in the window when you can. At the same time, you want to push to progress. I’ve always tried to be philosophical about it, without getting too dragged down by it. I go back to the players you can afford to bring in and then trying to make them better. “The work has been ongoing this month and we are hopeful we can do something. It’s very difficult, but it has been pressing for quite some time. “The club have every right to plan forward. There are lots of young players here now who are more for the future. But we have to win games now and progress now, so hopefully we can do that. “Up here, January is a very pressurised window, especially if you are going for a title after which you are straight into Champions League qualifiers in the June. So the focus is really on you this month to get some players in. “But you can only really get them in if they are available. I have been in contact with some Premier League managers, building up to January, and they just have no interest in letting out any of their players this month because they can’t replace them. Brendan Rodgers is looking to add to his squad. Picture: SNS Celtic transfer latest: Pre-contract for Fulham starlet? | winger undergoes medical | new contract for midfielder “If you look at a lot of the players we have here, they have got improved contracts and become better players. That’s brilliant for them and the club because they keep improving. “To bring in players over the top of them, that costs money. That’s the Catch 22 situation. There is a squad here who have been highly successful but you always have to evolve and the best time to do that is when you are succeeding. It’s a challenge but most Scottish teams will find that. “To bring in a big player on a big salary is very difficult. There is a level you can’t reach without putting your club at huge risk. That’s just the reality of where it’s at.” Rodgers has succeeded in strengthening his attacking options this month with the signings of loan duo Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah alongside the £2 million capture of Ivory Coast international striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo. Celtic are also close to clinching a £1.5m deal for Ukrainian winger Maryan Shved from Karpaty Lviv, although the 21-year-old is a longer term first team prospect and will be loaned out immediately. The chance to move six points clear of Rangers and Kilmarnock at the top of the Premiership table beckons for Celtic tonight when they entertain St Johnstone in the game in hand they have held over their title rivals for some weeks. “For us, we are pretty calm about it,” said Rodgers. “In my first season here, there was a gap and probably not that intensity about it. Last season, there was a gap again but this year it’s closer. That’s great for the league. It shows the other teams have improved. It doesn’t mean we’ve got worse. OK, we maybe lost certain key players but we are still playing at a really good level. If we win on Wednesday, we go six points clear with a good goal difference. Our mantra has always been to concentrate on the next game.” l Celtic midfielder Ewan Henderson has signed a new long-term contract. The 18-year-old has extended his deal to the summer of 2022, less than a week after marking his first appearance of the season with an assist against St Mirren. The midfielder, brother of former Celtic and current Hellas Verona player Liam Henderson, made his debut with a late substitute appearance against Kilmarnock in May last year.
SFTB
Sanguine or resigned ?
Remembering 5 kids and their instructor who perished 47 years ago.This accident changed the basis of outdoor education in the UK
The winter school trip which ended in tragedy with five pupils freezing to death
mirror.co.uk
HH
https://t.co/hN13k8qfoF
Hope that works
Bloody Sunday remembered
The knowing murder of 14 people
https://t.co/nC8ViLCdxi
HH
AN TEARMANN on 30TH JANUARY 2019 12:40 AM
That was Fairgrieve` s mickey take when England didn`t qualify for ` 78 .
Viz. Bada`s twitter .
Macjay
Yeh seen that lol.
:-)
Jumped in as I had been read in bout Bobby Moore and the jewellery shenanigans prior to Mexico
:-)
HH
Enjoyed your listing of Sydney’s ethnic breakdown tho the omission of indigenous
Was highly noticeable
An inherited link from those who “civilised” Australia whilst simultaneously assimilating racism into its own society.
Hope your well
HH
Good morning CQN from a freezing -2, sleepless in the Garngad
Regarding KTs injury, I think as a club we have a duty of care to young players to not burn them out and I think KT is the classic example of us not managing game time. I think Jack Hendry has been another where because of injurys at centre back and right back we played him constantly and the lad ended up making mistakes, I think due to too many games. I used to think if they are good enough play them, and probably that is still my view but manage their time on the park.
We have to remember that gone are the days when I and many readers played football either amateur, junior or senior as the game is faster now, players get signed up from 5 years of age ffs 5years and train like feck and have played so many games by the time they are 21. I remember playing for a team since I was 7 and at 14 after a spell with Yoker Juniors I fell out of love with football for about 1 year (probably burnt out) but didn’t know that term then. Anyway back to KT we played him through necessity because he is brilliant but because we did not have adequate cover. This is the need for good quality cover in all positions, hence making sure we get transfer windows right.
Sorry for the long post the Americano coffee is kicking in?
HH
D. :)
Does anyone know exactly what is wrong with Big Benky?
I am reading different reports that he is out till the end of season then other saying out for a month.
Surely in this day in age when we can fly guys to the moon we can tell what kind of injury someone has and get him sorted.
Anyway a good win tonight to keep momentum up, going into another couple of difficult games next week.???
Hay
D. :)
Is this real ? Up to 50,000 expected at Celtic park tonight , and no gritting around the stadium …
https://t.co/anKu0gAxZJ
Pavements ,walkways …
good morning bhoys from a snow covered Cheshire,,just took a video of the dugs playing in it, at least they like it.hh.
Reports saying Broonie signing on for 2 more years
Bada Bing
Rekkkord saying 2 year deal
HH
Fan-A-Tic
“Sanguine or resigned ?”
Well you can frame the emotion accurately if you know the inner workings of Brendan’s brain and heart.
Otherwise, you can just try and “deduce” from interpretation. That “deduction” is most likey to be hi-jacked by your own heart and brain’s views on the situation.
However, I find it hard to believe that a man who knows that these limitations exist for football and footballers in Scotland would blame men, such as Peter Lawwell or Dermot Desmond for choosing to install these limitations.
Like all other Celtic managers before him, Brendan will rightfully resent their existence but be wise enough to know that these limitations exist because of factors other than the mind set of local football administrators and Boardroom members.
The problem for us will be that an ambitious, competent and successful manager up here will have options and, like John McGinn, may choose to exercise his right to enrich himself and his family rather than stay with a club for whom he has strong affection.
If that happens, some amoong us will still choose to believe that it was the “suits what pushed him out because they lacked his ambition.”
Others will wish him luck and thank him for what he has done, if that is, indeed, the path he chooses.
Now, work calls.
Broonys here for 10 in a row…
HH
Benkovic out for 4 weeks, don’t think this is ‘clickbait’:
https://thecelticstar.com/benkovics-injury-latest-out-for-4-weeks-so-his-season-is-not-over/
HH
DAVID66 on 30TH JANUARY 2019 7:18 AM
Does anyone know exactly what is wrong with Big Benky?
BR said at his press conference it was ‘a knock’ . my understanding is that you could run off a knock , also when you already know that you are without Boyata , why would you risk contact with another player during a training session to get ‘ a knock’ to your best centra back.
was at the game against access , can’t remember benkovic getting treatment during the game but not to say he didn’t get a knock during the game to keep him out for 4 weeks.
Fulham’s Australian teenager Tyrese Francois is attracting attention from Valencia, Crystal Palace and Celtic Fox Sports (Australia) 06:25
Any sign of a right back ?
From SFTB ( Quoting BR) @9:13:
“There is a level you can’t reach without putting your club at huge risk. ”
Surely Brendan is not making a veiled criticism of anther Scottish club?
JJ
Bryan Oviedo from Sunderland as cover for KT?
HH
TRADITIONALIST88 on 30TH JANUARY 2019 10:28 AM
Big wages for cover at full back I’d reckon
CELTIC40ME on 30TH JANUARY 2019 10:31 AM
TRADITIONALIST88 on 30TH JANUARY 2019 10:28 AM
Big wages for cover at full back I’d reckon
======
Don’t know much about him,
HH
He’s no very tall!
Can we no sign a tall fullback?
Trad- Oviedo more of a left MF/wing back,rather than a left back…..HH
!!BADA BING!! on 30TH JANUARY 2019 10:54 AM
Trad- Oviedo more of a left MF/wing back,rather than a left back…..HH
======
Thanks, versatility is good, maybe he can play CB!? Though if hes not very tall that might not be a good idea!
HH
Are we better off with Broonie in the team or not?
Yes:
No:
Undecided: *
That`s me at Undecided.
HS- Broonie ‘s influence in the dressing room, Lennoxtown, cannot be underestimated IMO,another couple of games he will be back to his best hopefully HH
Anyone know if the permit for Bayo has been done yet? Don’t understand the delay, can’t be any different than the one buffalo got when Der Hun signed him.
Delighted that Broonie has signed on again……..He’s a strong character to have in the team and at training.
He won’t go on forever – none of us do.
HH
In ither news……………….
I see Kilmarnock has a new hall, stairs and landing being fitted – crazy stuff. No wonder talented professional footballers look twice at coming to Scotland.
Fake Pitches, Fake Fitba’
HOT SMOKED @ 2:45 PM,
To sum up:
a) The recent past has been very successful;
b) You are pleased with the present;
c) You are worried about the future.
Such is the way of Humankind and Celtic supporters seem to be more human than most :-))
Well, I wouldn’t put it quite in those terms.
There is of course many positive aspects about the Club and we have some excellent and committed players, we have an excellent and committed manager and coaching staff… I’m sure the same can be said for many of the so called backroom staff.
It means we can attain domestic success.
And Valencia are no doubt a better team but the above gives us a chance, it gives us hope…
However that doesn’t not hide the fact that we are underachievers in European terms and that very much saddens me.
We are run primarily as a business, I’d like to see us run as a football club.
One of, if not my first post, on CQN some 14 years ago stated that Celtic should be looking at their peers in Europe as a benchmark and not at Rangers.
Our competition and association with Rangers has been detrimental to Celtic.
That was my feeling then, it’s my feeling now…
Just what is our raison d’etre!?
If being a well run PLC and beating “Rangers” is your thing well knock yourself out.
Possibly my green tinted glasses view of Celtic is warped by the fact my first 12 years as a Celtic supporter was with Jock Stein at the helm.
A man for whom mediocrity was not an option.
For the record I see a similar mindset in our current manager… difference is, he’s not at the helm.
Hail Hail
Bada and Bankie
I have no problems with Broonie as a player. For the last two seasons, I have made him MotM at virtually every Home game.My question is based on how well we played while he was out of the team. For me, a dilemma.
JJ
Recent weather trends show our three week winter shutdown is at the wrong time.
HH Brrrrrr
CHAIRBHOY
Our manager shares some of the blame for our performances in Europe.
Yes to Broonie around the place, it’s difficult to judge his value to the team based solely on performances on the pitch