After the defeat to Lazio in the Champions League, Brendan Rodgers pointed out that his initial evaluation of the Celtic squad led him to believe that four high-quality additions were necessary.
In the summer transfer window, the focus was on acquiring project signings, but most of them failed to make it to the Champions League squad. Among the seven permanent signings, only Luis Palma had a positive impact in the elite competition.
Despite many Celtic fans interpreting Rodgers’ revelation as an indication of January transfer activity, only Nicolas Kuhn has joined the club with just 24 hours left in the transfer window. The expected loan signing of Adam Idah from Norwich is the major development, as the club finds itself deeply engaged in a title battle, facing a challenging run of fixtures in the coming six weeks, including trips to Aberdeen, Hibs, St Mirren, and Hearts.
Rodgers, speaking to The Sun, explained the challenges in balancing permanent signings and loan players. While ideally wanting players for the long term, he emphasized the need for balance, as permanent signings may not always be feasible. Reflecting on his experience, Rodgers noted the constant changes in the squad, emphasizing the necessity of squad recycling every three years for sustained competitiveness.
Amidst transfer speculations, David Turnbull seems to be on the verge of leaving Celtic, with talks ongoing for a move to Cardiff City, potentially removing the fourth top scorer from this season’s squad.
Celtic faces managerless Aberdeen on Saturday, providing an opportunity to scrutinize the post-window squad in front of the Sky Sports cameras.