Rodgers is downbeat over achieving his January transfer targets

Brendan Rodgers was put on the defensive today when he was asked about the prospects of bringing in four quality players in the January transfer window.

The Celtic boss recently revealed that when he returned to the club in June his squad assessment was that four quality players were needed to give him a chance of achieving his European ambitions.

Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy departed from last season’s squad, during the summer window seven players were signed up with two more brought in on loan in the last week of the transfer window.

Luis Palma has been the only regular starter in the side this season, of the summer recruits only the Honduran and Nat Phillips started in the defeat to Kilmarnock with the Liverpool defender likely to be recalled to Anfield next month.

In previous seasons Celtic have announced signings in advance of the transfer window opening, from today’s comments it seems like Rodgers is hoping that the right type of player might become available at some stage in the January window.

Question: Looking back would you say that you are satisfied by the summer activity and are you confident that in January you’ll be able to get the four quality, first team ready players that you mentioned in terms of experience and quality in general.

Rodgers: Listen, I don’t need to look back, the players were signed, they’re in here, they may not be for now, they’re players that might down the line become really good players for Celtic.

When you come into a club like Celtic at 20 years of age it can be a challenge, the adaption, if you are coming from a different country, it can be tough.

So, those guys have signed long contracts, some of them, and hopefully in that time they can show that they can be Celtic players.

Looking forward, of course we want to improve the squad and I think that we’ll do that with 1, players that are coming back that can prove influential for us and hopefully, if the right players are available, hopefully we can look to improve key areas that we would like to.

Attention will very much be on incoming business next month with Mark Lawwell expected to deliver the quality required by the manager to take the team forward.