Brendan Rodgers reflects on Celtic’s “not ideal” January transfer window

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged that the January transfer window did not go as planned but refrained from assigning blame, emphasizing the need for a club review.

The Scottish Premiership leaders secured the signing of Jeffrey Schlupp from Crystal Palace and brought winger Jota back from Rennes. However, their star forward Kyogo Furuhashi departed for Rennes, leaving a significant void in the squad.

Rodgers admitted the desire for another striker:

“We wanted another striker, so we’re not hiding behind anything. The supporters will see that a top striker, a legendary one, has gone out. I understand their concerns.”

Adam Idah has stepped up, scoring three goals in two games following Kyogo’s departure, while Johnny Kenny returned from a loan spell at Shamrock Rovers. Daizen Maeda, another forward option, is suspended for the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich.

Despite the challenges, Rodgers stressed a forward-looking approach:

“I’m not going to become frustrated and kill my joy of working here by thinking what could have been. We work with the players here now. That is the focus.”

When asked whether it was a mistake to let Furuhashi go without a replacement, Rodgers explained:

“If a player does not want to be here, then we do the best deal and move on. Could we have done better? Yes, but that’s football. We now focus on what we have and finish off what’s been a great season so far.”

Celtic will need to rally behind their current squad as they prepare for the Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich next week.