- Celtic’s Parkhead manager emphasizes efforts to bring in new talent
- Bernardo’s transfer nearing completion, but manager remains tight-lipped on Idah’s situation
Brendan Rodgers has cautioned that Celtic must remain proactive during this transfer window to progress in the upcoming season.
The Northern Irish manager has revealed that Paulo Bernardo is close to finalizing his £3.4million transfer from Benfica, a story first reported by Mail Sport.
The 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who was on loan while Celtics secured a double victory last season, is poised to be the club’s third addition of the summer, following Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo.
Additionally, Adam Idah, who was on loan from Norwich since last January, is moving closer to a permanent switch as he expressed his desire to return to Glasgow to the Carrow Road management.
However, the lack of first-team-ready players arriving thus far has led to some anxiety among supporters as Celtic’s title defense begins against Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Brendan Rodgers has assured Celtic fans he will be bringing new faces to the club shortly
Paulo Bernardo is close to finalising a permanent deal with the club, as revealed by Mail Sport
Rodgers clearly expects the roster situation to improve before the transfer window closes on August 30. He stated: ‘We still have work to do but, with transfers, there are lots of moving parts. It’s never just as simple as identifying a player and bringing him in.’
‘By the end of August, we hope to have strengthened the team as we envisioned. It’s crucial to not become complacent in football; continuous development and improvement are vital.’
‘Our aim is to ensure we have a stronger squad this season to face all upcoming challenges.’
Idah is currently facing disciplinary actions from Norwich for opting not to join the squad for a friendly match in Austria last weekend.
Adam Idah hopes to force through a move to Celtic after making his feelings known to Norwich
When asked about Idah’s potential return to Celtic, Rodgers responded: ‘Well, Adam is still a Norwich player. He performed exceptionally well for us last season, and we’ll see how things unfold in the upcoming weeks.’
Meanwhile, Matt O’Riley remains at Celtic despite Atalanta making three unsuccessful offers, the most recent being £15m plus add-ons.
Rodgers affirmed that no player will be allowed to depart for less than their true market value.
‘No player will leave unless it meets the appropriate valuation, and to this point, no team has come close to that,’ he concluded.
