Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HIGH HOOPS
Rodgers looking forward to working with new signings
CELTIC last night clinched the £2 million signing of Vakoun Issouf Bayo as boss Brendan Rodgers vowed to lift “phenomenal” fellow recruit Oliver Burke to the next level. The Parkhead outfit made it three signings in four days as they sealed a four-year deal for the Ivory Coast striker from Slovak side Dunajska Streda. Bayo’s move is subject to a medical and a work permit, but the agreements are in place with Rodgers boosting his squad by the capture of another key target.
The 21-year-old was wanted by Rapid Vienna, Dinamo Kiev and Parma, but the Scottish champions have won the race for the hitman who has bagged 18 goals in 23 games this term. And, as Rodgers also welcomed Burke and Paris St Germain’s Timothy Weah into the fold, he insists the club have to keep making improvements. Although Bayo is not in Dubai, on-loan West Brom winger Burke has been with the squad since the beginning of the training camp and Rodgers is adamant he can develop the 21-year-old’s thrilling attributes at Celtic.
He said: “Oliver is, obviously, a very exciting talent. He burst onto the scene at Nottingham Forest and I remember watching a game and thinking what a talent he was, but then it all went very quickly for him.
“From Forest, to Leipzig to a new country, new style, new way of working and he wasn’t there that long before he came back, so it’s a very important time for him at 21.
“His key strengths are his pace and his power and an eye for goal, but what he should enjoy is that he’s coming to a good coaching environment and he’s going to need to work in that side of the game.
“He’s very keen to learn, he’s very keen to take on that responsibility and there’s elements of his game that we think we change a little that can change a lot for him individually, but then will obviously benefit our team.
“His pace and power is phenomenal and he has a nice touch on the ball, running in behind and into goal, so we hope we can utilise that and improve his quality and his game.”
Weah has also joined on loan and Rodgers is still in the market for more signings.
Other targets include Atalanta’s Belgian right-back Timothy Castagne, while American fullback Andrew Gutman is also believed to be on the radar for the Hoops having also been on trial with Rangers last month.
Rodgers wants to keep pushing from a position of strength and told Celtic TV: “In my time at the club, there has been lots of change, the market has changed quite considerably.
“We came out of the summer where we lost key players and the players up until this point have done very well, but it’s always important that you can improve.”