Celtic have enjoyed the best possible start to their era under Brendan Rodgers as they are yet to be beaten in a single domestic game under the Norther Irishman. The Hoops struggled in Europe but that hardly matters much as they could very well finish the season with an invincible domestic treble triumph. The players will now get some much-needed rest during the winter break and Rodgers will be keen to restart the season on the same note if not better.
Celtic have plenty of quality and a plethora of options at every position right now. So, what will be in Rodgers’ agenda in the winter transfer window or the next summer transfer window? Celtic do not need additions just for the sake of it rather what they need are players who can improve their first-team and lead them to better times in Europe. Getting such players won’t be cheap at all which is why we can expect Rodgers to be backed with more money by the owners.
One thing Rodgers must try is to make Patrick Roberts stay at Parkhead once his loan deal expires in the summer. The 19-year-old joined Celtic on a one and half year loan from Manchester City in January 2016 and is entitled to stay in Glasgow until the summer of 2017. But what will he get once he returns to his parent club? Pep Guardiola’s side are rich with quality options in his positions. It is better to be a star player at Celtic and play in Europe rather than warming the bench at Etihad and play in the Cups.
Roberts was always a highly-rated player which is why Manchester City bought him from Fulham in the summer of 2015 for a massive fee. However, the youngster found opportunities hard to get under then-manager Manuel Pellegrini and was shipped out on loan to the north of the border where he made an immediate impact and showed why he is called the next big thing in English football.
Manchester City have plenty of quality options in the attacking third in players like De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Nolito, Sane, Navas and Roberts moving back to Etihad could prove to be a bad deal for his career.
He needs to play week in week out and that he can get at Celtic. He is loved by the fans and Rodgers believes in him. Even if Celtic need to pay quite a healthy fee for the 19-year-old’s signature, they should not hesitate in doing that as he does have a huge resale value. Rodgers has to ensure the future of Roberts is at Celtic, even beyond this summer.
