Brendan Rodgers on Celtic’s lackadaisical transfer plans

Originally posted on The Celtic Star | By Conor Spence | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 4:51 AM ET

Brendan Rodgers has revealed the latest on Celtic’s lackadaisical transfer plans, expressing hope that the club is edging nearer to securing new signings before the month is out…

So far this window, the club have added seven new faces, notably bringing Kieran Tierney back from Arsenal and securing deals for Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, Ross Doohan and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (on a loan deal from Manchester City).

Last night, Celtic finalised and submitted their 25-man Champions League squad to UEFA for the upcoming play-off against Kairat Almaty, with the first leg set for next Wednesday at Celtic Park.

Up to two players may be added ahead of the first leg against the Kazakh champions, as long as two current squad members are removed from the list by 11pm on Tuesday, 19 August.

Asked whether his team would be strengthened by the time they host Kairat Almaty, Rodgers responded via Celtic’s official YouTube channel: “Hopefully would be the answer to that. But, we have right up until the day before the game to change our squad, so hopefully that can be the case.

“I don’t want to dwell on it too much, as it has been constant. I am not clever enough for you guys to say the same things 20 times differently. We hope we can improve it, and hopefully, by then, we will do.”

Regarding Celtic’s approach in the transfer market so far, Rodgers added: “I’m philosophical about it. The club has always notoriously done business towards the end of the window. I’ve said it before, all coaches and managers want the players in as soon as we can, because pre-season is for preparation, and you want to be as prepared as you can possibly be.”

“Regardless of the players we get in or not, what I know is that the players that are here, what has gone unnoticed a little bit is that we’ve made a really good start. We’ve had two really good wins and played well. I know we’ll get better, but I can’t knock the performances over the two games to get the results.”

“That has been clouded a wee bit in all this sort of negativity around the transfers. So I’m really trying to focus on the guys that are here; there is lots of stuff going on in the background. Hopefully, we can come out of the end of the market in a good place.”

Watch Brendan’s media conference below or read everything that was said HERE.