Celtic transfer news: Brendan Rodgers offers update on deals as January deadline nears

The Hoops are on the brink of securing their fourth signing of the winter window in Maryan Shved, although Rodgers admitted last week that he doesn’t know much about the Ukrainian and won’t use him until at least next season.

The Scottish Premiership leaders – who are three points clear of Rangers with a game in hand – have signed Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and West Brom this month respectively.

Celtic also signed Vakoun Issouf Bayo on a permanent deal from Slovakian outfit Dunajska Streda for a fee in the region of £2million.

But Rodgers has designs on further recruitment as the Bhoys seek an eighth successive league title, with the Northern Irishman having snapped up seven of seven available domestic trophies in his two-and-a-half season spell at Parkhead.

Speaking after Celtic beat Hamilton 3-0, Rodgers told the Daily Record: “We know where we want to improve – whether we can or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

“The plan would be to do something but if we don’t, okay. That’s where we’re at.”

Rodgers’ comments on wide-man Shved have caused speculation that he is not in control of transfers.

He admitted: “The club have been in contact with his representatives and he is a player for the future. I haven’t seen a great deal of him to be honest. It is something that has come to the club through circumstance.”

But asked whether he still has the final say on transfers, Rodgers declared: “Yes, absolutely.

“It will come to me in the process. I’ll look at him and see where he’s at and then we decide from there.

“In this case something came up and you make a decision. I just happened to know the agent from my time at Liverpool and I know he has a good reputation.

“It’s an opportunity the club could look at. When you are managing 60-odd games a season you can’t be a scout as well.

“My job is to coach and manage the players and put them on the field.

“We have a network of scouts behind that to try to find the players. I don’t need a winger now but he [Shved] is a talent and if the club sign him then we’ll look at a development plan, whether it’s coming in now or going on loan to play games.

“I was being honest. I’m not going to say I’ve been tracking the boy for six months.

“It is an opportunity and you’ll find in this window that there are circumstances where that will happen.” 

Celtic return to action on Wednesday night when they host St Johnstone (7.45pm).

The transfer window then closes the following night at midnight. 

source: express.co.uk