Brendan Rodgers: ‘I would be preparing for five-a-side’ if transfer rumours were true says Celtic boss | Football News

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says he would be “preparing for a five-a-side game” this weekend if all the transfer rumours were true.

Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi have all been linked with moves away from Parkhead this summer with the club only adding two new players so far.

Goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo have joined the club with Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo making their loan moves permanent.

Asked about O’Riley making a potential move to Brighton, Rodgers told Sky Sports News: “I think, in terms of all the speculation and gossip over the last week or so, I’m preparing for a five-a-side game at the weekend,”

“There have been so many players linked with moving away.

“There’s nothing concrete, there’s clearly interest in him [O’Riley] and a number of other the players, but at this moment in time we’re very clear and very focused on preparing for St Mirren and, until I get told otherwise, that’s what we’re doing.

The Hoops boss was also quick to play down Manchester City’s links with Kyogo, who is set to return from a shoulder problem for Sunday’s game, live on Sky Sports.

“There’s been nothing from Man City. It’s obviously rumour and gossip,” Rodgers said.

“I haven’t spoken to him directly on that. If I was speaking to every player around gossip and speculation, I would be 24 hours a day. It’s of no interest to me, my focus is very much here with Celtic and preparing the team for the game
at the weekend.

“Most importantly for me is he is now back feeling comfortable on the grass. He has been brilliant in training the last couple of days and he will be available for the weekend.”

Celtic are in next week’s Champions League draw and Rodgers insists they will strengthen for that whether players stay or go.

“I think always the challenge for us is to improve and that improvement will come with bringing in a certain level of quality that will help us in European football,” the former Leicester boss added.

“We’re in a really good place but we want to improve as a team and a club and that will be the objective over the course of the next week.

“We haven’t spent a great deal of money in terms of where we’re at and where we expect to be at as a club, so I would look at us over the coming week to be able to do some business and it shouldn’t be reliant on players going out.

“If our idea is to improve, we’ll hopefully be active in the market over the next week.”

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