BRENDAN RODGERS insists Celtic are “working hard” to add more firepower to the champions as they prepare for the 2025/26 crusade.
The Hoops sold 85-goal man Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in a £10million deal in January and Nicolas Kuhn, with 21 strikes last season, sealed his £17.2million switch to Como on Friday.
Rodgers is hoping there are no unanticipated hitches in the £1.5million move for Kawasaki Frontale striker Shin Yamada who is expected in Glasgow next week after Japanese international duty in South Korea.
Swedish wide Bhoy Benjamin Nygren has arrived in a £1.7million transfer, but the Parkhead gaffer is still looking to strengthen his player pool with the Premiership kicking off three weeks today when St Mirren provide the opposition in what is becoming an annual event, Flag Day in the east end of Glasgow.
CANDID COMMENTS…Brendan Rodgers is clear about what Celtic need.
The Irishman said: “It’s clear we need to improve the squad. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes, there are loads of names floating about.”
Royal Antwerp flanker Michel Ange-Balikwisha has been heavily linked with a £5million shift to Celtic, as CQN reported yesterday.
Rodgers, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “We’re clear that we need to improve our frontline. We lost Kyogo in January and another player with Nicolas gone. That’s a lot of goals that’s gone out of the team.
“So for us, we need to strengthen that area of the field. But the guys back home are working hard on that.”
The Hoops have also been mentioned alongside Cercle Brugge’s former Sporting Lisbon left-back Falvio Nazinho as Rodgers also looks for cover for Kieran Tierney who played in the first-half of the 3-2 loss Estrela da Amadora in the closed-doors friendly in Lisbon yesterday.
Greg Taylor has sealed his move to Greek club PAOK after coming out of contract and the club have already brought in Japanese defender Hayato Inamura who has taken the opportunity to impress in the pre-season friendlies.
READY TO GO…Japanese new Bhoy Hayato Inamura. Images courtesy Celtic TV.
Rodgers will step up his efforts to bring in another No.3 and added: “The pre-season is always to assess. We know the model here at the club is always to improve them.
“Sometimes that means they come in and you assess and look to see what’s right for the development of them and the team.
“That’s what I’m about, getting a collection of individual players I can see development and improvement in.
“If they are going to be close to the first team, they’ll stay and do that. If not, we may feel they need to go out.
“Inamura’s that example. I just wanted to get the chance to see him and we’ll continue to do that.
“But we know in the background that if we need to move on that position that’s something that we will be ready to do.”
‘REALLY GOOD EXERCISE,’ RODGERS POSITIVE AFTER KT’S FALSE START
