BRENDAN RODGERS spent £18.25million in putting his Celtic jigsaw together for his second stint in charge of the champions.
Coincidentally, the Irishman, just like his predecessor Ange Postecoglou the previous summer, brought in nine recruits.
And, in an identical situation, the final player to arrive was a loan signing. Last season it was Oliver Abildgaard from Rubin Kazan. This time around it was Benfica midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
We have to hope he has more success than the Danish anchorman who saw his temporary transfer scrapped at the turn of the year as he was sent back to the Russian club.
BIG DEAL…Maik Nawrocki cost £4.3million from Legia Warsaw.
Rodgers’ highest outlay was the £4.3million for centre-back Maik Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw while midfielder Kwon Hyeon-kyu arrived from South Korean outfit Busan I-Park for a more modest £850,000.
Liverpool’s Nat Phillips also agreed a temporary contract with the defender signing until January.
Montengrin international winger Sead Haksabanovic left on a season-long loan switch to Championship side Stoke City while Ivorian midfielder Ismaila Soro joined Beitar Jerusalem on a two-year contract.
Not part of Rodgers’ budget was the £1million to make Tomoki Iwata’s move from Yokohama F Marinos permanent after his initial loan agreement.
The biggest incoming transfer was obviously the £25million received for Filipe Jota from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad while Carl Starfelt moved to La Liga club Celta Vigo for something in the region of £5million.
BIG DEAL…Gustaf Lagerbiekle cost £3million from Elfsborg.
Australia World Cup midfielder Aaron Mooy announced his retirement shortly after the conclusion of the historic eighth domestic treble.
List of the comings and goings in Rodgers’ first transfer window since returning in June:
INS
Odin Thiago Holm (£2.25m, Valerenga), Marco Tilio (£2m, Melbourne City), Yang Hyun-jun (£2.1m, Gangwon FC), Kwon Hyeon-kyu (£850,000, Busan I-Park), Maik Nawrocki (£4.3m, Legia Warsaw), Gustaf Lagerbiekle (£3m, Elfsborg), Luis Palma (£3.5m, Aris Thessaloniki), Nat Phillips (loan, Liverpool), Paulo Bernardo (loan, Benfica).
OUTS
SOLD: Filipe Jota (£25m, Al-Ittihad), Carl Starfelt (£5m, Celtic Vigo), Ismaila Soro (£150,000 Beitar Jerusalem), Conor Hazard (£150,000, Plymouth Argyle). Albian Ajeti (undisclosed Gaziantep);
LOANED: Adam Montgomery (Fleetwood Town), Bosun Lawal (Fleetwood Town), Liam Shaw (Wigan), Sead Haksabanovic (Stoke City), Ben Summers (Dunfermline), Ben McPherson (Queen’s Park), Tobi Oluwayemi (Admira Wacker), Matthew Anderson (Admira Wacker).
RELEASED: Vasilis Barkas (FC Utrecht), Osaze Urhoghide (Amiens).
RETIRED: Aaron Mooy.
