Celtic transfer news: Brendan Rodgers provides January update, makes Moussa Dembele claim

The Hoops have recruited Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah until the end of the season on loans from West Brom and Paris Saint-Germain.

And Rodgers has also secured a permanent four-year deal for Vakoun Issouf Bayo, signing the striker from Slovakian outfit Dunajska Streda for a fee in the region of £2m.

That significantly boosts Celtic’s attacking options with the Northern Irishman previously suffered a dearth of attacking back-up with Odsonne Edouard his only recognised striker while Leigh Griffiths takes a break from the game.

The reigning Scottish Premiership champions are only ahead of Old Firm rivals Rangers on goal difference at the top of the table though have a game in hand.

And with Steven Gerrard’s Gers having brought in Jermain Defoe on loan and secured the return of Steven Davis, the need for Celtic to strengthen is clear.

Rodgers told Sky Sports News: “We will look to do more business. 

“I think January, in particularly up here in Scotland, is important. But the players have to be available at the same time.

“When you’re working down south it’s maybe not as important because sometimes those players aren’t available and in January.

“You are trying to not just improve your squad for now but whatever qualification games you have in the summer, and they come very quickly on to you so you have to get the squad ready for that.

“The market is very difficult for Scotland because the players are always moving.

“You look at the changes in our squad that happened particularly over the summer, it’s a new squad, lots of new players.”

Celtic endured a below-par summer window and lost star striker Moussa Dembele to Lyon on deadline day after fighting to keep the Frenchman.

That left the Glasgow giants short of options but Rodgers is once again satisfied by his Parkhead firepower as he looks to maintain his perfect trophy-winning record – having claimed all seven pieces of domestic silverware available to him since 2016.

Rodgers told CelticTV: ”We’re a team that plays an aggressive game, an attacking game and I felt that was an area we were short in terms of our options.

“So bringing young Oliver and Timothy in will increase that in both the central and wide areas, as will young Bayo as well as he gives us a physicality with his presence and speed.

“It allows us more options with the systems we play. The style will always be the same, but it increases the way we can play.

“We suffered a little bit when Moussa left in the summer, but I’m happy with these three.”