Brendan Rodgers on agents cooking up transfer speculation

Brendan Rodgers on agents cooking up transfer speculation

As reported earlier by The Celtic Star, Brendan Rodgers gave a longer than usual media conference ahead of Sunday’s game against St Mirren that was extremely interesting to read as a Celtic fan…

Personally I think it gave a really insightful view of the going on’s inside Celtic Park at the moment with regard to player retention, potential signings and what the manager really envisions for this squad going forward.

I thought I would cherry pick a few of the comments that Brendan made and really look into them over my next few articles, dissecting what it means for the club both in the short term and moving forward through this season and beyond.

In this first article I’m going to look at players leaving and potentially players coming in. Since this interview it’s been pretty much confirmed that Matt O’Riley is on his way to Brighton so we don’t need to look anymore into that situation. The first thing that grabbed my attention was when the manager was asked about the speculation regarding Kyogo potentially garnering interest from mega rich Man City. As he answered the question he mentioned the following:

Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic FC reacts after scoring a goal during the FC Series against the Manchester City FC at Kenan Memorial Stadium on July 23, 2024 in Chapel Hill, NC. (Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire)

“The representatives get to work and they are going to create the speculation and see what comes from there. At this moment nothing new to add.”

Now although he was answering a question specifically about Kyogo he did earlier refer to all his players receiving speculation, however I did find the segment I mentioned interesting. We all know Kyogo has recently changed agency and is now with CAA Base, the same agency who brokered Ange Postecoglou’s departure from Celtic.

It felt to me like Brendan was telling us that CAA Base are creating these rumours to see what’s out there for their client, which isn’t positive news at all. Kyogo is a player, who at 29, I think a lot of us maybe envisaged staying with Celtic. He has always seemed at home at Celtic and perhaps gave the impression that he’s happy with where he is and was willing to give the best years of his career to us, a bit like Henrik Larsson did.

PO Henrik Larsson celebrates scoring during the the UEFA Cup Semi-Final between Boavista FC and  Celtic held on April 24, 2003 at the Bessa Stadium in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

The change of agent definitely unnerved a lot of us and Brendan’s words have made me feel less confident that the fan favourite will see out his best days at Celtic Park. Unless Celtic receive a bid they can’t refuse however I can’t see him leaving this summer.  Later on in the interview when asked about the Man City interest, Brendan pretty much states this, saying he wouldn’t entertain losing his striker, whilst also saying there has been nothing from Man City, and that it was all ‘rumour and gossip’.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic reacts after he scores his team’s second goal during the Premier Sports Cup match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park on August 18, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The next bit of Brendan’s interview I’m going to analyse is also regarding the Celtic strike force, and whether we will see another striker coming in this summer, as many expected. In a question about Daizen Maeda playing up top last weekend Brendan mentioned this regarding a third striker at the end:

“We could go into the market and maybe get a younger one from somewhere but the reality is our priorities are elsewhere. I have to look after that, but knowing that I have Kyogo, Adam and Daizen there as the third one – that’s where we are at presently.”

So I think that pretty much answers the question on whether we will be bringing another striker in. We won’t. To be honest I think the manager is right, we do have other priorities. I know people were suggesting earlier in the window to get Bojan Miovski and Idah in, or even Mathias Kvistgaarden and Idah but in all honestly no club can keep three top strikers all happy when playing in a team which only plays one up top.

Brendan had plans to give Rocco Vata the chance to be third choice striker which would have been a great opportunity for the youngster but he decided Watford was a better destination. A decision I feel he may regret in the future.

The manager saying that he was looking to move a young player from the academy into that role however should be a boost for other young attackers within the club to go and stake a claim this season. Put in the work to catch the manager’s eye and hope that he revisits this idea next season. The incentive is there.

Gustaf Lagerbielke of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Feyenoord and Celtic FC at Feyenoord Stadion de Kuip on September 19, 2023.Photo VI ANP Sport Jeroen Putmans

Finally in regards to player movement Brendan was asked about Gustaf Lagerbielke and confirmed the obvious that he has no plans for him this season so the likely outcome will see the Swede leave Celtic either permanently or on loan. Most of us knew this was a certainty anyway. This lead to a question about would this mean Celtic looking to bring in another centre back which Brendan answered rather robustly:

“It’s something that we’re looking at anyway. It’s not new.”

So I think it’s pretty safe to say bringing in a centre back is one of our priorities this week!

In my next article I’m going to look closer at Brendan’s comments regarding Celtic’s transfer structure and what his views are on the way the club operates in this area, something which is proving so frustrating to many of us supporters.

Mikey Johnston in: 2 last gasp transfers Burnley FC must consider before August 30th

Key Takeaways

Burnley’s strong start in the Championship makes them a top contender for Premier League promotion.

Potential signings of Mikey Johnston and Ilan Kebbal would add depth and creativity to the squad.

Johnston and Kebbal’s proven success in lower leagues could boost Burnley’s chances of reaching the top flight.

Burnley have made a strong start to the new Championship campaign.

Scott Parker’s side have scored nine and conceded just one, beating Luton Town 4-1 and Cardiff City 5-0 in their first two games.

The Clarets will be aiming for promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt, having come down from the top flight.

The Lancashire outfit have made a number of signings this summer in a bid to be competitive at this level, bringing in the likes of Andreas Hountondji and Lucas Pires, while also confirming the permanent arrivals of Maxime Esteve and Mike Trésor.

But Burnley still have until 30 August to finalise any remaining transfers before the window closes until the start of 2025.

Here we look at two last gasp moves the club could make to improve the squad before the market closes for the rest of the calendar year…

Mikey Johnston

According to Football Insider, Burnley are eyeing a move to sign Mikey Johnston from Celtic before the window closes.

However, it has been reported by Alan Nixon that they face competition from rivals Sheffield United, with time running out to complete a deal.

The Clarets could lose the likes of Manuel Benson and Anass Zaroury before the end of the month, so signing another winger would make a lot of sense.

Johnston spent the second half of last season on loan with West Brom, where he proved quite a success.

The Republic of Ireland international scored seven goals from 18 appearances in the Championship and played an important role in Carlos Corberan’s side earning a play-off place (Fbref).

If he can bring that kind of form to Parker’s side, then he could prove a very shrewd signing.

The 25-year-old has been unable to really cement himself as a regular presence in the team at Celtic, so needs to make some moves this summer in order to maintain the momentum he built earlier this calendar year.

Burnley would be an excellent landing spot and could give him the chance to fight for promotion to the Premier League.

Ilan Kebbal

According to Foot Mercato, the Lancashire outfit are competing with Leeds United for the signing of Ilan Kebbal from Paris FC.

The 26-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the French club, the first year being on loan before signing on a permanent basis in 2023.

The attacking midfielder contributed six goals and 11 assists in Ligue 2 in 2023/24, with Paris coming fifth in the second-division table.

Ilan Kebbal’s stats 2023/24 – per Fbref.com

Stat

Per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.06

Non-penalty expected goals (npxG)

0.10

Shots

1.48

Assists

0.32

Expected assists (xAG)

0.31

npxG + xAG

0.41

Shot-creating actions

6.16

While Burnley have a lot of attacking options at the moment, they lack a creative number 10 other than Aaron Ramsey.

Injecting competition for minutes into the team would be a good move and Kebbal could be available at a reasonable price.

The Frenchman performed well in the second tier last year and is extremely strong at carving out chances for others, having an impressive 6.16 shot-creating actions last season.

This is the kind of player Burnley need to have in their squad if they are to make use of these forward options at their disposal.

Club have ‘high hopes’ to beat competition for Celtic player – Pushing to ‘poach’ him from Brendan Rodgers’ side

Four days ago, Fussball Transfers reported SC Heerenveen and KV Mechelen are keen on signing Celtic’s Gustaf Lagerbielke. It was also stated Brendan Rodgers’s side will let him leave this summer.

A day later, Heerenveen general manager Ferry de Haan revealed that his side are hopeful of securing the defender’s services.

Saturday’s edition Gazet van Antwerpen claims the Belgian club are still in the battle to sign the Celtic man.

The Sweden international arrived at Celtic Park from IF Elfsborg in August 2023. Brendan Rodgers didn’t rely upon him last season as the centre-back was restricted to 408 minutes from seven league games.

Mechelen and the Eredivisie side want to offer the 24-year-old an escape route before the window closes.

Gazet van Antwerpen claim Lagerbielke is the ‘important option’ for the Jupiler Pro League side to bolster their defence. Therefore, they are pushing to ‘poach’ him from Celtic.

Heerenveen are set to provide competition, but the newspaper claims Mechelen seem to have ‘high hopes’ of acquiring the Swede’s signature.

It’s not made clear whether Mechelen are looking to sign the Celtic player on loan or via a permanent transfer.

Imagine him & Carter-Vickers: Celtic lining up move for “incredible” gem

The summer transfer window officially slams shut in less than seven days and Celtic do not have much time left to get their remaining business over the line.

So far, the Hoops have brought in Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah on permanent deals, with the latter two having been on loan at Parkhead last term.

Brendan Rodgers is reportedly in the market to make further additions to his playing squad with the Scottish giants before the deadline passes next Friday, though.

The Northern Irish head coach is looking to bring in reinforcements for his defensive unit in Glasgow, with a Championship defender on the club’s radar.

Celtic’s interest in American titan

According to The Scottish Sun, Rodgers is lining up a late Celtic swoop to sign Sheffield United central defender Auston Trusty before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the USA international to bolster their defence, a year on from his £5m move to the Blades from Arsenal.

It states that Sheffield United are keen on a deal for Bhoys winger Mikey Johnston, who returned to Glasgow this summer after a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion, and that he could be used as part of a move for Trusty.

However, the outlet does not reveal whether it could be a straight swap or if one team would offer a player and some money in exchange to make a transfer happen, so it remains to be seen how viable it is at the moment.

If Celtic do manage to secure a swoop for the USA international before the end of the window, though, he could come in as an excellent partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Why Celtic should sign Auston Trusty

Firstly, signing another left-footed defender, who can play at centre-back or left-back, makes perfect sense when Liam Scales and Greg Taylor are the only two in the first-team squad.

Trusty could come in to provide both players with competition for their place in the team, particularly for Scales in the left centre-back position, as that is the American’s natural role.

He is a naturally left-footed player and could complement Carter-Vickers, who is a right-footed defender and operates on the right side of the pairing, whilst they have already played alongside each other for USA U20s in the past.

Auston Trusty

22/23 Championship

23/24 Premier League

Appearances

44

32

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.8

2.6

Error led to shot or goal

0

3

Ground duel success rate

59%

55%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Trusty enjoyed far more success on loan with Birmingham in the Championship than he did as part of a Sheffield United team that picked up just 16 points in the Premier League last season.

The 26-year-old titan, who was hailed as “incredible” by former teammate George Friend, won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air without making a single error that led to a shot or goal in the second tier in England.

If he can recapture that form then he could be a reliable and dominant partner for Carter-Vickers, who won 68% of his duels in the Scottish Premiership last term,

Celtic face fan fury if they make unthinkable transfer call and throw league title into jeopardy – Chris Sutton

Business is picking up at Parkhead but the Record Sport columnist has named the non-negotiables

Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi after scoring to make it 3-0 against Kilmarnock

The prospect of losing Matt O’Riley this summer is a tough one for Celtic fans to stomach. But allowing Kyogo to also head out the door would be absolutely unthinkable right now.

Celtic shouldn’t even contemplate the possibility of the striker leaving. They can’t entertain it – at any price. There’s been enough said about O’Riley and people have just about got their heads around his likely departure. Kyogo is a different matter. The story this week about Manchester City being interested has got supporters in a panic – and it’s understandable. The notion of Celtic losing two of their best players going into the final week of the transfer window makes my stomach lurch as well.

A few of my colleagues in England have scoffed a little about the City link with Kyogo. But I can understand why they’d be looking at him. I have no doubt Kyogo could cut it in the Premier League. You look at his movement, his speed, his ability to get across his man and attack the near post. He would score goals for City, for sure.

And I’m sure plenty will understand the attraction for Celtic if they can get £20million plus for a 29-year-old striker. That’s not the point though. Celtic might get a ton of money – but Kyogo is irreplaceable.

Let’s face it, they are not going to go out and replace him with another £20m frontman. It will be a player who has potential and will need to develop. That’s the reality at Celtic and I get the model of buying cheap and then selling big.

But at some point they are going to need to draw a line in the sand. They need to show they are a club with Champions League ambitions rather than just a battery farm for other clubs to come along and pick up their top players whenever they feel like it.

Everyone gets worked up about City but I’m not sure that would be the right career move for Kyogo either. Yes, he’d make plenty of money, but he’d be the back-up for Erling Haarland.

Would he be happy sitting on the bench every week and playing the odd Carabao Cup tie? It wouldn’t be for me. He’d be as well taking the Saudi money as far as I am concerned.

Likewise for O’Riley. It’s been assumed his move to Brighton is inevitable but is it the best place for him? I’m not so sure about that one either. Brighton are a good club, who play nice football and have an imaginative manager.

But the Amex Stadium is not Celtic Park on Champions League nights. Of course it’s the league more than anything and there’s the attraction of playing against the big clubs most weeks.

What about the attraction of winning trophies? O’Riley has the ability to go to the very top and you suspect Brighton won’t be his last port of call. I don’t think he needs a stepping stone move though. It’s not completely out of the question for a player to go directly to a top-six club.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk worked their way to a Premier League winning side after an initial move down south. But Kieran Tierney went straight from Parkhead to Arsenal and I can’t see why O’Riley can’t trod a similar path after another year of performing in the Champions League.

Celtic’s Matt O’Riley (Image: SNS Group)

That is where it really matters and the prospect of going into the competition without Kyogo and O’Riley is a nightmare. I know Brendan Rodgers has talked up some of the performances in Europe last season, but I wasn’t all that convinced.

But any of the decent stuff they did produce, it was O’Riley and Kyogo at the heart of it. Celtic don’t have many Champions League level players – but these two are.

And if they are both allowed to leave at this stage, they might as well roll up the white flag. If one or both go it would also leave Rodgers with a huge amount of work required and not a lot of time to do it.

To lose another two vital men would leave Celtic scrambling for five players – who would need to hit the ground running. In case people have forgotten, Rangers are up next weekend and the first derby is always huge psychologically. Can you imagine the reaction if Celtic sell O’Riley and Kyogo, bring in a couple of prospects for a debut against their big rivals and then they lose the game?

The fans would understandably be furious. This summer should have been about the Champions League but unless they pull something special out the bag, they are now jeopardising the league.

That’s an incredible situation to be in when there was a feeling that if they went out and brought in a few quality additions early in the window then they could absolutely bury Rangers. Instead, there’s a week to go in the window and they are somehow facing the prospect of being weaker than at the end of last season. Celtic need to get it sorted sharpish – while slapping a not for sale sign on Kyogo for starters.

Celtic will resume negotiation to sign Mateusz Bogusz

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that the Bhoys will sign a few players before the end of the window. 

The Bhoys have agreed a deal to sell star midfielder Matt O’Riley this summer.

The Scottish champions will receive an initial £25 million for the Denmark international, and it would reach around £30 million if add-ons are added.

Losing O’Riley is a massive blow for the club, and Celtic must do everything to bring in proper replacements in the next few days.

According to a report from the Daily Record (page 56), Celtic are stepping up moves to sign Los Angeles playmaker Mateusz Bogusz.

The Hoops are also interested in signing Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels and Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has shared a fresh update on Bogusz.

The Bhoys have been in discussion to sign the 23-year-old midfielder for a while, but LAFC didn’t wish to move forward as they wanted to focus on their game against Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup final.

Celtic will now resume negotiations to sign the former Leeds United midfielder after LAFC’s cup final on Sunday.

Joseph wrote on X: “Update: Celtic will resume negotiations for attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz after LAFC’s cup final on Sunday.

“The clubs began discussions over a deal for the 23yo. However, LAFC don’t wish to move forward until after they have played Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup final.”

Bogusz has been enjoying a great time in the MLS, where he scored 13 goals and provided five assists this season. In total, he has scored 16 goals and registered six assists in all competitions.

His performances have been noticed by several top clubs, and he would represent a smart signing for Celtic should the deal go through.

It won’t be easy to find a like-for-like replacement for O’Riley, and it would be hard for anyone to replicate his numbers (goals and assists), but Rodgers will look to utilise the money properly to make a better squad

Celtic make move to sign Mateusz Bogusz – sources

Celtic are interested in signing LAFC playmaker Mateusz Bogusz with star man Matt O’Riley likely to leave the club, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that Celtic have made an enquiry about signing the 23-year-old Polish midfielder.

Football Insider revealed (August 20) that O’Riley has informed Celtic that he wants to join Brighton if a deal can be agreed after the Premier League club’s £25 million plus add-ons offer.

Any deal to bring Bogusz to Celtic Park will be dependent on O’Riley leaving the club, but Celtic are said to be very keen on the former Poland Under-21 international.

Celtic eye Mateusz Bogusz as Matt O’Riley replacement

Bogusz has been used in multiple positions since swapping Leeds United last year for LAFC, including as a striker, which is why he’s managed to score 17 goals in 33 appearances so far this MLS season.

Like O’Riley, Bogusz is forward-thinking, capable of either finding a pass or carrying the ball forward on his own and bringing defenders out of position.

Celtic currently have plenty of midfield options, even if O’Riley were to leave, but they lack the type of player that would be able to contribute the same kind of output.

The Scottish champions have started the season well and will be the nation’s only representative in the Champions League following Rangers’ failure to qualify for the group stage.

Celtic submit offer to sign “box-to-box” in-demand midfielder for Rodgers

Hoping to seal their transfer window with late reinforcements, Celtic have reportedly made an opening offer to sign a midfield addition for Brendan Rodgers this summer.

Celtic transfer news

At the start of the summer, it looked as though the Bhoys were willing to settle on their title-winning side in the Scottish Premiership, but they soon got going with their reinforcements, welcoming the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah on a permanent basis. And the rumours have only continued since their arrivals, as those in Scotland look to end their summer on a high.

Midfield seems to be the focus too. Names such as Alvyn Sanches and Mateusz Bogusz linked to Celtic Park in recent weeks. Bogusz could be a particularly impressive addition, with his ability to play as both an attacking midfielder and centre-forward a trait that could replace Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi if both headed for the exit door in the next week.

O’Riley has, of course, been the subject of interest from Brighton and the player is now set to move to the Premier League side in a record Scottish exit worth an initial £25m that could rise to £30m.

According to French journalist Nabil Djellit, Celtic have submitted their first offer to sign Mahamadou Diawara amid his struggle for game time at Ligue 1 giants Lyon. The Scottish champions aren’t the only side reportedly interested, however, with Nantes, RC Lens and others all chasing the teenager’s signature in the closing days of the window.

Just 19 years old, Diawara is a similar prospect to Sanches, who Celtic have also been linked with. Clearly eyeing young midfielders full of potential, Diawara could yet emerge to become a replacement for O’Riley at the heart of Rodgers’ midfield.

“Brilliant” Diawara needs summer move

In need of game time after starting just four games in Ligue 1 for Lyon last season, Diawara could get the opportunity he so desperately needs at Celtic before the end of the month. Potentially following in the footsteps of former Frenchmen to complete moves to the Scottish giants such as the highly successful Moussa Dembele, the midfielder may yet realise his potential in Glasgow.

The 19-year-old has certainly earned plenty of fans from his time in France, including U23 scout Antonio Mango, who dubbed Diawara a “brilliant signing” and a “box-to-box” midfielder when Lyon secured his signature from Paris Saint-Germain just last summer.

Just one summer later and whilst things haven’t quite worked out for Diawara, Celtic have seemingly swooped in with an attempt to end the teenager’s nightmare. Diawara may well be one to keep an eye on in the final week of the transfer window.