BREN OUT TO EXPLOIT EARLY DEADLINE DAY
BRENDAN Rodgers has predicted that Celtic may be able to capitalise on the Premier League transfer window closing three weeks earlier than usual as they attempt to strengthen their squad further.
Top-flight clubs i n England only have until five o’clock next Thursday afternoon to make sign players – three weeks earlier than in this country – in a change that has been introduced this year.
Rodgers, who has only
brought in Scott Bain and Odsonne Edouard this summer and is keen to make more quality acquisitions before the end of August, believes that could work to the Scottish champions’ advantage.
He suspects the asking price for the Parkhead club’s signing targets will change significantly and become more affordable after the transfer window closes down south next week.
Asked if he thought that might work in Celtic’s favour, Rodgers said: “It may do. I think it’s a big hindrance for the Premier League, but it can maybe benefit us in a different way.
“I think they are hamstrung in terms of what they can do. Once their window closes the squads are settled and there’s maybe room for other players to be brought in.
“The Premier League had the right idea and concept -– players have been sitting beside others in a changing room who wanted to go but were expected to fight for points.
“At the same time it can make it more difficult. We’ll see – it might open up the market and the availability might be more for us.
“I think it’s something that will change next year. There has to be uniformity around Europe or go back to the way it was.The difficulty is that leagues are starting at different times.”
Rodgers, who has seen Stuart Armstrong, Erik Sviatchenko and Patrick Roberts depart in the close season, admitted he will be reluctant to allow any member of his squad to leave either on loan or in a permanent deal in the coming weeks.
He said: “There are players of interest to other clubs, but at this moment in time I don’t have interest in losing players if the squad is down in numbers.
“All the players are working hard and fighting to improve themselves and there’s still a lot of time to go before the end of August.
“You need to have a competitive squad to bring the best out of it. I’m happy with the players we have, but we need to strengthen .”
Meanwhile Rodgers stressed that Celtic will know exactly what to expect from AEK Athens when they play the Greek champions in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round on Wednesday night.
“We obviously have a lot of the stuff covered,” he said. “John [first team scout McGlynn] has been out looking at the games so we will be ready. By the time we come to play them we will have covered lots of footage of them.”