Brendan Rodgers Celtic Christmas wishlist as 3 key transfer missions underpin January revolution

Brendan Rodgers Celtic Christmas wishlist as 3 key transfer missions underpin January revolution

The head coach of the Hornets has a lot of work ahead of him during the January transfer window,

and Lennoxtown may have a revolving door.

So much for the joyousness of the season.

After two straight league losses when the city was celebrating the League Cup,

Celtic is currently experiencing a winter of simmering dissatisfaction.

In Glasgow, it doesn’t take much for a drama to spiral out of control,

and fans have already taken to criticising everyone from the dugout to the boardroom.

Even with Rangers holding a couple of games in hand,

some people appear to have forgotten that Celtic leads the Premiership by five points,

and the two teams will square off in the East End the following week.

The second part of the season may be greatly influenced by the celebration week,

but what transpires following will truly matter.

January is a historically difficult month for business,

so now is not the time to start repairing a relationship.

However, it’s a chance to invigorate an ageing group and

get rid of some of the clutter that’s filling the Lennoxtown hallways.

When the window opens on January 1,

boss Brendan Rodgers has a lot on his plate,

so he’ll need to finish his Christmas feast quickly.

Although the letters to Santa are a touch late,

Record Sport has looked at the manager’s demands and goals for 2024.

Christmas wishlist

It’s common knowledge that the summer shopping trip wasn’t as planned.

With ten acquisitions that may be aptly characterised as squad players,

Celtic lost out on priority targets. Despite earning £25 million,

Jota’s departure created a talent need that wasn’t covered by wide men like Yang and Marco Tilio.

Rodgers will need a wide attacker in the building since Mikey Johnston hasn’t really

taken his big chance since returning from sporting Siberia,

despite Luis Palma’s encouraging signals.

Although it appears doubtful that the current Jota would return after his terrible stint in Saudi Arabia,

a quick winger seems essential.

A new Jota may be a tall order.

Celtic require a striker as well.

The Hoops could use another frontman,

even if Kyogo and Oh Hyeon-gyu weren’t leaving for the Asian Cup.

They have been connected to Mathias Kvistgaarden of Brondby,

but the cost of the Danish under-21 captain was too high in the summer and hasn’t decreased.

Although he is a great potential,

the Celtics want someone who can contribute right away.

If Rodgers waited until the end of the

transfer window to try to sign a forward off the bench of an

English Premier League team, it wouldn’t be shocking.

He also needed a backup left back.

This is not meant as a criticism to Greg Taylor

who, in spite of some people’s opinions,

has been excellent for a number of seasons

but he does require assistance and challenge in the position.

Having a tonne of centre backs on the roster doesn’t solve the problem;

nevertheless, the goalie position can wait till the summer,

unless a superior option emerges to challenge Joe Hart.

Callum McGregor overloaded the midfield,

and while none of the newcomers have lived up to expectations,

another muscle in the midfield wouldn’t hurt either.

January’s sales

Making room in the squad will be necessary for many of the aforementioned tasks,

and Rodgers has already acknowledged that there will probably be a departure next month.

Nat Phillips will return to Liverpool,

Yuki Kobayashi is expected to return on loan in January,

Gustaf Lagerbielke’s departure is already being discussed,

and David Turnbull is nearing the end of his contract,

so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him depart.

After failing to make much of an effect,

Alexandro Bernabei will also be free to leave,

and James McCarthy, who last kicked a ball in anger in October 2022,

is astonishingly still alive.

Players like Mikey Johnston and Yanh, Tilio,

and Odin Thiago Holm appear to be in need of a change of scenery,

and they might all benefit from loan stints to gain more playing experience.

Rodgers would be concerned about losing some of his important players,

but he would also wish them all the best.

Although Liel Abada is expected to return from his injury in January,

he might be considering leaving.

After thinking about leaving in the summer,

he wrote a new agreement,

but it’s unclear if he can handle some of the political issues

raised by supporters of his home country of Israel.

Matt O’Riley will be much sought after,

and a massive offer of £20 million or more would cause them serious trouble.

They can’t afford to lose the midfield player,

so holding onto him throughout the summer ought to be their main goal.

However, it’s not often easy stated than done, so the Hoops will require a backup plan.

Resolutions for the New Year

Although many of the current team hasn’t suddenly turned into terrible players,

Celtics supporters may not be too pleased right now.

There are several trophy winners in the locker room,

but in 2024, some of them will have to step up their game.

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