Brendan Rodgers took charge of Celtic this summer with gargantuan expectations heaped upon his shoulders. His predecessor Ronny Deila had two good seasons domestically at Parkhead winning the Premiership convincingly but still was shown the exit door. So, the intent of bringing in Rodgers was quite clear and that was qualifying for the Champions League and doing a decent job out there. Rodgers definitely had a good start at Parkhead with Champions League spot already assured and having made a perfect start in the Premiership winning all three games.
Rodgers did not really bring in too many players this summer. The Northern Irishman moved for quality, not quantity. We got to see a whole new Brendan Rodgers at Glasgow. The Rodgers of Liverpool made too many mistakes in the transfer market and one of them was going for too many players rather than improving the first-team. At Celtic, Rodgers has brought in pure quality and experience. The team looks like a good blend of youth and experience right now and for that, we have to appreciate the 43-year-old.
Here is a quick review of the transfer window Celtic had,
Ins
Kristoffer Ajer from IK Start (600 Th. €)
Moussa Dembélé from Fulham FC (300 Th. €)
Kolo Touré from Liverpool FC (Free transfer)
Scott Sinclair from Aston Villa (4,10 Mill. €)
Dorus de Vries from Nottingham Forest (undisclosed)
Cristian Gamboa from West Bromwich Albion (1,20 Mill. €)
Outs
Stefan Johansen to Fulham (2,30 Mill. €)
Stefan Scepovic to Getafe (1,20 Mill. €)
Anthony Stokes, released
Charlie Mulgrew, released
Carlton Cole, released
Scott Allan to Rotherham (on loan)
Saidy Janko to Barnsley (on loan)
Michael Duffy to Dundee (on loan)
What they managed to bring in
The way Rodgers has improved his first-team at Celtic is remarkable. He has brought in an experienced defender like Kolo Toure, a right-back with 50 international caps in Gamboa while one of the biggest prospects in world football Moussa Dembele was also snapped up for free. Craig Gordon is not a sweeper keeper Rodgers wants and that is why an experienced custodian like de Vries, who is a good passer of the ball, was also brought in. Scott Sinclair’s quality is undisputed even though he had a few poor years in English football. The English winger is a massive addition to the first-team of the Hoops.
What they still miss
The only drawback in the team even after the window has shut is the Bhoys’ lack of depth in the middle of the park. After Scott Brown and Nir Bitton, the Hoops have just young duo Ajer and Henderson out there. Probably, Callum McGregor is seen as a permanent central midfielder by Rodgers.
Remarks
We would give Celtic a nine out of ten for the business they have done this summer. If Rodgers could have brought in a central midfielder, it would have been a perfect 10!
