Brendan Rodgers blasts January transfer 'myth' as Celtic boss makes £733m Champions League gamble abundantly clear
Bullish Brendan Rodgers has branded it a "myth" that clubs can't sign talented players in January.
The Celtic boss played down that the Scottish champions were being charged more based on their search for a replacement for Kyogo after the Parkhead talisman joined Stade Rennes. Adam Idah has now been promoted to the undisputed first-choice striker at Celtic Park with Johnny Kenny as his understudy after Celtic's last-gasp search for a frontman couldn't beat the deadline day clock.
Brondby were said to be holding out for top dollar for Mathias Kvistgaarden with the Premiership leaders keen on a deal - while Slovan Bratislava attacker David Strelec's dad claiming that the two clubs were narrowly apart in their valuations fans have been left wondering about the premium price tags dished out to stars in the winter window. Asked if the though Celtic face a "premium" when signing players mid-season, he said: “No, no, no, I didn’t think that.
"I think that there’s a myth around you can’t get good players in January, which I would totally disagree with. I think you can. In virtually all my career, I’ve got really good players—some world-class players in the January window.
“But it’s sometimes about the availability, it’s sometimes about the affordability. And then there is a little bit of a premium in January, of course, in this period where you may have to pay a little bit more, but that’s natural. But I didn’t think there was anything too outward to what would hurt us as a club."
Jeffrey Schlupp and Jota were the only two recruits when all was said and done - and Rodgers believes there is lessons that can be learned from the window with Celtic facing the prospect of navigating the Champions League qualifiers to reach Europe's elite competition next term. So far this season the Hoops have banked around £30m for navigating the knockout rounds - and should they reach the league phase again next term they will bank a share of the £733m prize pot on offer from UEFA.
He said: "We're a club that understands that January window can be really important when you're in the qualification phase, that hasn't been the case for a number of years. But certainly in my time here, when we had to go through qualifications, January was an important window in order to prepare ourselves for that moment.
"I think in terms of that, it's always been the case. I don't think there's anything new that sprung up to surprise anyone. We understood what we needed to improve the squads. We're clear on that. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen for us."
While stating he felt his squad was "flexible" after the loan signing of Schlupp from Crystal Palace, he conceded the side is now "a little tighter than what I would like" The Irishman noted: "It’s like with Jota, he can play on the left or right side, but you'd probably ask him if he'd prefer the left. The view of the game is different.
"Jeffrey, like you say, is where he can play in that left-back slot where he's played for Leicester and played for Crystal Palace, but he's also played inside. So, I think the flexibility is important, especially if you want to have a tight squad.
"It's probably a little tighter than what I would like, if I'm honest, but the players can do that. I'm really looking forward to working with him and, like I say, he's a good guy."
