Celtic transfer news bulletin as cryptic Tiago Araujo tease dropped and Brendan Rodgers reveals testing January hurdle

Brendan Rodgers admits the search for excellent players is not easy as he attempts to strengthen his Celtic squad.

So far, only Nicolas Kuhn has come, but the Parkhead manager is seeking to expand

his squad beyond the winger. Striker Mathias Kvitsgaarden has been linked,

He was asked in his pre-Ross County press conference whether there were plans for future recruits and Rodgers stated work is underway –

but clubs not wanting to go with players with the talent he seeks is a challenge. He explained:

“There is work being done behind the scenes. It’s not easy.

When you are trying to get players in, and I have talked about quality before, and I always will do.

That is thee nature of what I am trying to build here.

“We have a lot of excellent players in our group that are developing and progressing. I’d like to add more,

but it’s never simple to get excellent players because other clubs don’t want to lose them.

It is something that is always being worked on.

I hope we can do this before the window closes. I am prepared to potentially add to the group,

but my faith and belief in the ability to develop players here remains strong.

That is also something I look forward to.

“I completely understand what the squad needs in order to improve.

I don’t want to rush into bringing in a player. It always has to be the right player.

I also want to create an opportunity for young players to come through.”

Rodgers stated on Atletico’s failed approach for O’Riley:

“There was an offer, but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose, and he won’t be leaving in January.”

It’s a terrific reflection on him and what the club can accomplish for a player.

He earned his first international cap this season,

and Atletico Madrid is a major player in European football.

“But he’s very much a part of what we do.

He has been a pleasure to work with, and I had a fantastic conversation with Matt on Thursday morning,

and he will be there for us in the second half of the season.”

Defender Liam Scales, meanwhile, is fully aware of the buzz surrounding the Dane.

And talk of bids from Atletico Madrid and other rumours of interest is no shock to him.

He stated, “A player of his ability is always going to be associated with transfers.

He’ll always be coveted by other teams.

I don’t believe that’s surprising, but he’s important to us.

He’s definitely the best player I’ve seen this season. He’s been terrific and we certainly want to keep him.

I’m not surprised by the reports because he’s a highly sought-after player.”

The left-back is a reputed target of Rodgers,

and after another impressive performance in the Allianz Cup semi-final triumph over Benfica,

Seabra addressed Koba Koindredi’s future with a cryptic message about the Hoops target.

He told A Bola, “I really like my players, and I believe they have incredible talent.”

Whoever chooses one of these players will be very pleased. “They have talent and character.”

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