TWO IN WITH ONE STAYING
FROM BACK PAGE League, Brendan Rodgers insisted he’s confident Moussa Dembele will still be at Parkhead when the window shut tonight after an £18m bid from Lyon was booted out.
Rodgers saw his side sink Suduva before confirming two likely additions to his squad.
Benkovic was at Celtic Park last night to have talks over a loan deal from Leicester. The Croatia defender signed for the Foxes for £13m just three weeks ago but the 21-year-old is not deemed ready for regular action and manager Claude Puel is sending him out.
Rodgers reckons a deal can be done and said: “He’s a young guy with a bright future at Leicester but we’ll hopefully take him on loan and develop his game.
“He’s a big threat in both boxes, a big presence, and that’s something I think the team needs.”
Mulumbu, 31, was also at Parkhead prior to the tie for talks and is on the verge of a two-year deal.
The midfielder, who impressed at Kilmarnock last season, has been on the market since the end of last term and had interest from Swansea and Bordeaux. But Rodgers has got him and added: “What I’ve been after over the course of the summer was a No.8, a strong-running, aggressive midfield player.
“For us to get someone of that experience and quality is great.”
Rodgers believes Dembele will be staying. The French kid is wanted by Lyon and is interested in the switch with a personal package already agreed with his advisors. But Celtic are refusing to budge and have kicked out £18m plus add-ons. Dembele’s representatives were at Parkhead for more talks with Celtic hierarchy last night. But Rodgers said: “We don’t want Moussa to go and I can’t see it happening. The offer is significant but it’s no good for us. It has to work for both.
“If we don’t have someone of a certain calibre and quality to come in then unfortunately it can’t be done.
“I’ll speak more to him on Friday. It’s a difficult situation for him in terms of the possibility he has.
“The time will become right for him to leave here but it has to work for both. That’s something he’ll understand in time, if not now.”
Dedryck Boyata could also stay as Rodgers added: “There’s been a lot of distraction for those guys who have been playing very well.
“But I think the whole thing will close and we will see those guys here, then we can really push on until Christmas and then it all begins again in January.”
Rodgers reckons sealing Benkovic and Mulumbu and keeping Dembele and Boyata could finish his business dealings.
He said: “I wouldn’t have thought there would be anything more. It was key to keep the players we had.
“That was always going to be up there with the players coming in.
“If we bring in a dominant centre-half and an aggressive midfield player, time might run out for anything else.”
Rodgers saluted Leigh Griffiths as he scored his 100th goal for Celtic and qualification for the groups after the 3-0 win over Suduva. He said: “It’s a brilliant record Leigh’s got at a club of this size to be so consistent.
“I’m delighted for him. It was important for us to join teams like AC Milan, Arsenal and Chelsea.”