No matter how good your team is performing and how talented your players are, there is always a room for progress. It is a certain quality of world class managers when they do not settle for what they have. If any other manager was in Brendan Rodgers’ place, he would have probably let complacency grow inside, considering the season his Celtic side are having. Yet to face a defeat in the domestic circuit, Celtic look to be cruising on to the title but Rodgers is still looking to bolster his squad in every way possible to hit the next level.
Celtic have already reached an agreement in the region of £3m with Russian Premier League side Krasnodar for Ivorian midfielder Kouassi Eboue and Rodgers is reportedly looking for more midfield reinforcements. According to a report in the Daily Record, Celtic are not interested in entering a bidding war for Nottingham Forest’s Henri Lansbury with Championship giants Astron Villa and Derby County but Rodgers is looking to sign him for free in the summer.
The 26-year-old Championship midfielder is going out of contract with Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2017 which means that the Hoops are free to hold talks with him over a pre-contract in January and Rodgers has done exactly that as per the report.
Well, it would be a lucrative offer for the former English under-21 international for sure. A move to Celtic means he could win plenty of silverware to improve his CV and he will have the opportunity to work with a manager like Brendan Rodgers.
Even though Celtic are all set to bolster their midfield with Ivorian wonderkid Eboue, Lansbury would be a solid addition, with the attacking outlet he offers. He is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Championship. The 26-year-old is a regular goalscorer from midfield and sets up as many goals as he scores. Blessed with a strong physique and an attitude to work hard for the side, he suits Rodgers’ style perfectly.
You have to admit that English clubs such as Aston Villa and Derby County do have the financial upper hand over Celtic but Lansbury is at the point of his career where he should show an ambition to win things rather than playing for promotion hopefuls in the Championship. He could get Champions League football at Celtic which neither Villa nor Derby can even dream of. A free transfer for the former Arsenal youth graduate in the summer would be a brilliant deal for both parties.
