Celtic only looking to add 'genuine quality', says Brendan Rodgers
Monday 21 January 2019 16:15, UK
Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic will only add players this month who can make a “genuine difference”.
Rodgers has already bolstered his forward options this month by bringing in Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and West Brom respectively, while Vakoun Issouf Bayo has joined from Dunajska Streda.
The Celtic boss says the club may do more business before the transfer window closes on January 31 but only if the right calibre of player is available.
"Of course you will always wait for quality," Rodgers said. "That is what is important for us. If you are going to bring in any players they have to be of real genuine quality.
"But they also have to be able to enhance our group. They have to be able to really make a genuine difference.
"A club like Celtic, with its status, you always have to be looking outside as well. So that is something that is ongoing.
"But we want to bring in quality. That would be the message."
Celtic host St Mirren on Wednesday night and Rodgers is hoping to see an improvement in the pitch at Celtic Park, which looked below its usual standards during Saturday's 3-0 win over Airdrionians in the William Hill Scottish Cup.
Rodgers said: "It is something unfortunate, nothing that the ground staff could have done.
"A slight disease in the surface which has just been unfortunate. We have a great team of ground staff, they work very hard.
"We obviously had a new pitch laid last year which has helped our game but the guys are working very hard to make that right.
"But of course it is very difficult when you have a spell of games on it but I am sure it will get back to the level we would hope it would be at."
Rodgers hopes left-back Kieran Tierney, out since December with a hip injury, will get back to training "in the next few weeks but in the meantime he is working with the medical team."
Midfielder Olivier Ntcham, out with a hamstring problem, should be back at "some point after next weekend" while the paperwork is still to be completed for new signing Bayo.
