It is hard to know where to start with the news, from a highly reliable source, that Celtic are looking to sell Gus Lagerbielke when the transfer window opens next month.
Wednesday’s winning goal against Feyenoord added a strange twist to the news but no-one can really be surprised by the development but it does ask many more questions about recruitment inside the club.
Before racing Feyenoord Brendan Rodgers defended the summer signings, highlighting that they were on long term contracts and would in time prove their worth. The next night Lagerbielke repaid a chunk of his fee but is now available for sale.
What does that mean for the futures of Marco Tilio and Kwon Hyeok Kyu?
EXCLUSIVE:Celtic are willing to sell Euro goal hero Lagerbielke in the January window https://t.co/CEX2aFcWPF via @mailplus @ScotMailSport @mcgowan_stephen
— Mail Sport Scotland (@ScotMailSport) December 15, 2023
If, as he has recently claimed, Rodgers had the final say on his summer signings his judgement looks seriously flawed. Not many supporters believe that he decides on signings, if he wanted seven projects signed during the summer the club is in a serious mess.
We get told that football is a game of fine margins, normally in relation to 90 minutes playing time.
As Rodgers watched Celtic win their Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden in April he felt that they were four quality signings away from being competitive in Europe.
Signing and sanctioning the sale of Lagerbielke is highly worrying- unless the manager has regained control of recruitment from the Chairman’s boy?
Scott mckenna anyone?
— The Maestro (@henriks_tongue) December 15, 2023
Guy scores one goal, we don’t see him in training. I’m sure BR knows what he is doing
— john lappin (@john_tjl) December 16, 2023
That’s an awful indictment on the recruitment structure at Celtic. Looks terrible
— Steven Clark (@hotbaws1) December 15, 2023
How many CBs can we carry not so long ago it was Scales and Welch that were leaving if we keep them all where and when do they play
The guy will go on to be a £20/30m player on whom Celtic will have lost money. Welcome to Lawwellball.
The biggest attraction for players wanting to join ourselves is possibly the prospect of being involved within a CL squad?
Of course there is the prospect of success with trophies and development in gaining a bigger move also, further down the road?
So that is the potential picture on the bigger scale, but will they actually fit into the overall picture in the plans of the manager?
If you look at forming a potential 25man squad in its current formation of 433.
Then are we looking at 2 keepers, 9 defenders, 7 midfield players and 7 attackers, for which 8 Scottish homegrown players have to be fitted in also?
That is potentially how a CL squad could be made up, with a few players waiting on the fringes regarding SPFL in mind?
Although I felt the whole process wasn’t completed during the summer, there is still a few positions available within the potential make up of the squad with the remainder of this season and next in mind also imo?
Rodgers don’t seem interested in the development process whatsoever and seems only interested in getting in the ready-made player’s, yet hardly convincing upon where these potential players fit into his plans, especially when his style of play remains so inconsistent currently?
Still don’t believe Turnbull and Johnston will be in the planning of Rodgers with CL in mind next season imo, so potentially another 2 Scottish homegrown players need to be found as possible replacements?
So still a fair bit of work to be done within the squad, yet not expecting it all to be completed in January either imo?
Yet a few positions can’t or shouldn’t be ignored either in January