‘Celtic’s perfect solution to Brendan Rodgers upset in jeopardy’
Brendan Rodgers could be frustrated further by the state of his squad as Celtic manoeuvre the summer transfer window in Glasgow.
The Northern Irishman was furious with the hierarchy at Celtic Park last summer, and even during the winter transfer window, after failing to bring in adequate replacements for the squad.
That has been a common trend with the Hoops since the 52-year-old’s return to Scottish football two summers ago, one that supporters have lost patience with very quickly.
Rodgers clearly shares the same view as the match-paying fans, who watch the team week in and week out, but it remains to be seen if the boardroom will follow suit this summer.
Celtic get business started in Glasgow
The Hoops have already sealed Kieran Tierney’s signature, joining from Arsenal on a free transfer after leaving Celtic Park in 2019, but a brand-new attacker will be a top priority this summer.
Having signed from Norwich City for £9.5million last summer [Sky Sports], Adam Idah has been a huge disappointment for Celtic, with Daizen Maeda carrying the torch in the final third.
That is mainly due to Kyogo Furuhashi‘s £10million move to Rennes in January [Sky Sports], and the Hoops being unable to seal the signing of a suitable replacement for the remainder of the campaign.
Rodgers’ side still won the Scottish Premiership title race by 17 points and impressed in the Champions League, but with a full squad, they could have accomplished more, and that’s where the frustration lies.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s Celtic Park return under threat
Football Insider understands that Celtic could look to re-sign Furuhashi following his struggles in Ligue 1, even being left out of the squad, but that has taken a fresh twist this summer.
According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph via X (20 June), newly promoted Birmingham City have made initial contact with Rennes over a possible move for the Japanese international.
While in League One, the Blues happily spent a record £15million to sign Jay Stansfield, who went on to score 19 league goals in their promotion-winning campaign, and there is no reason why they would not do something similar with Furuhashi, making them a genuine threat to any Hoops interest.
While the forward’s switch to France has failed completely, the 30-year-old netted 86 goals in 167 appearances for the Hoops and is still firing on all cylinders for the national team.
A move to the Championship would give the striker a chance to prove himself in England for the first time, and possibly even the Premier League next season, an opportunity which players rarely turn down.
Although Rodgers has made his feelings clear about restocking the final third positions at Celtic Park, the dream of reuniting with Furuhashi could come crumbling down thanks to the Blues.
The Hoops will quickly need to move on to other targets if they are to achieve more next season, putting behind the thoughts of an emotional reunion with a former star.