Brendan Rodgers confirms Dedryck Boyata could leave Celtic in January

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Dedryck Boyata could part ways with the club when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year. The Belgium international has just eight months left on his existing deal with the Hoops and so far, he has shown no interest in extending his stay with the Scottish champions.

Amidst this, he has been regularly tipped for a return to the Premier League with Fulham among the leading candidates and Rodgers has acknowledged that the Hoops could part ways with the Belgian at the start of 2019, he said: “He's at the stage where he will assess everything and he is probably going to sign the biggest deal of his life over the next couple of months.”

Ryan Christie pens fresh contract extension with Celtic

Ryan Christie has penned a new long-term contract to keep him at Celtic until the summer of 2022. The 23-year-old started the ongoing campaign as a regular on the substitutes’ bench but an injury to Leigh Griffiths has enabled him to command a starting role starting after the previous international break.

During this period, he has contributed three goals and one assist in five appearances and the latter of those came during the Europa League game against RB Leipzig where he contributed towards Odsonne Edouard’s winner. As such, he has managed to extend his contract beyond the current campaign and speaking about the extension, he said:“I’ve started playing a little bit more, getting into the team and starting to make an impact.

No Complaints about Defeat against Salzburg, Claims Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers claims that his Celtic team were not at their races in the recent game against Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League. Salzburg were able to claim a 3-1 victory in the match as they fully capitalised on Celtic being reduced to 10 men following the red card for James Forrest. Even though Odsonne Edouard had provided Celtic with an advantage after his second minute goal, the home team were able to gain control of the game just after half-time. The team scored three times in the space of 20 minutes in order to get a 3-1 lead. As a result, Celtic’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League may have taken an early blow.

After the game, Rogers said that he could not have any complaints about the defeat since Celtic were second-best throughout the game. He pointed out to the incredible work they put in by Salzburg even when Celtic were reduced to 10 men when playing away from home. The Austrian champions were able to reach the semifinals of the Europa League last season and they possess an incredibly rich squad, which was apparent from the manner of their win. Salzburg were keen to capitalise on home advantage since other opponents in the group happen to be quite tough.

Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic are regressing this season

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has highlighted that the club are showing signs of regression and they may not be able to replicate the showing from the previous two campaigns. Under the management of Rodgers, Celtic have secured every domestic title up for grabs over the past couple of years but the team have not made the best of starts this term.

As such, Rodgers believes the Hoops could expect a tough season ahead with their attacking department in particular not playing to the best of their abilities, he said: “I don’t think we are anywhere near the level of our game. The win on Thursday was probably down to spirit and persistence. I said last week at St Mirren, even with 10 men, we were dominant.

Brendan Rodgers keen on keeping hold of Dedryck Boyata

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has said that he was pleased with how Dedryck Boyata reacted to the negative reception from the club’s faithful. The Belgian came for stick after faking an injury to miss the Champions League tie versus AEK Athens which the Hoops lost and thereafter, there were protests from the supporters to exclude him from first-team duty.

Amidst this, Rodgers made the surprise decision to start Boyata for the league game versus Hamilton and the centre-back managed to prove his worth with a 63rd-minute winner. Speaking about the same, Rodgers said: “Obviously I would have preferred a different reaction but I am not going to criticise the supporters.

Brendan Rodgers remains optimistic over Moussa Dembele’s injury

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that Moussa Dembele’s leg injury is only a minor one after he was forced to be substituted during the second half of the 3-0 win over Alashkert. The Frenchman netted a brace within the opening 20 minutes of the game and this ensured that the Hoops enjoyed a comfortable night despite Jozo Simunovic being sent off in just the 11th minute for a high-footed challenge.

Speaking after the match, Rodgers revealed that Dembele had felt some tightness behind his legs but he remains hopeful that the concern is not a major one, he said: “He was tight at the back of his legs so we will need to assess that tomorrow and in the next couple of days. He is as fit as he has been since I've been here at this stage of the season so hope it was just a tightness and he will be okay.”

Cruzeiro president updates on future of Celtic target

Cruzeiro president Wagner Pires has dropped an update on the future of midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta amid the ongoing speculation linking him with Celtic. The 24-year-old featured in two games for Uruguay during the recent World Cup in Russia and his stock now appears to have risen with the Hoops holding a genuine interest in his services.

Speaking to reporters, Wagner admitted that the club may consider sanctioning the exit of Arrascaeta considering the club are only ‘average’ in terms of their financial stability. Nevertheless, he clarified that there has not been any approach for the Uruguay international and everything for now could be considered as speculation.

Celtic secure the permanent signing of Odsonne Edouard

Celtic have announced the signing of Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year contract. The 20-year-old impressed for the Hoops on a temporary basis last season with 11 goals in 29 appearances and he has now re-joined them on a permanent deal which has cost around a record fee of around £8m.
Speaking after the striker’s arrival, Rodgers said: “Odsonne is one of the best young players I have worked with and one of the best in Europe. Our fans saw exactly what he is capable of last season and we look forward to working with him again as we look to build on the tremendous success we achieved last year.”

Meanwhile, Odsonne himself was pleased about the transfer after witnessing the Hoops secure another domestic treble. The Frenchman had become a fan favourite during the second half of the previous campaign and he has now admitted that he was desperate to seal the move, he said: “I was desperate to make my move permanent. To see our fans so happy is the reason you play football and now we want to do everything we can to bring our great supporters even more success.”

James McClean Open to Celtic transfer

West Bromwich Albion attacker James McClean has issued a come-and-get-me plea in the aftermath of Scott Brown’s testimonial match. The game was played between the Republic of Ireland and Celtic to honour Brown’s decade-long stay with the Hoops and Mclean played an influential role for the former in a 2-2 draw.

Speaking after the game, the 29-year-old was asked about the possibility of joining Celtic, whom he has been a lifelong fan of and his reply was positive. He said:“That’s always been the dream. Unfortunately that’s not up to me. If it was up to me it would have happened a long time ago.Who knows? Fingers crossed. Maybe one day.”
McClean has been with West Bromwich Albion for the last three seasons but he is likely to pursue a fresh challenge this summer, considering the Baggies have been relegated to the Championship. Despite his inconsistency, McClean has always possessed the quality to star on his day and he would surely attract interest from several Premier League clubs owing to his experience.

Brendan Rodgers Admits Celtic Players Face Temptation

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes that it is almost impossible to find players nowadays who can commit their futures to a single club. Speaking in a press conference, Rodgers admitted that there is always the temptation of a player leaving his hometown club, should he be offered a substantial increase on his current wages.

He said: “I don’t want to say either/or, really. The time when players were not for sale is long gone. The kid’s [Tierney] signed a long-term deal and you can see the happiness he has here. Having been at the club, there’s something natural that can happen here. But if a player is on X amount of money and he’s offered 5X by someone else and the club also has a big offer to consider then it’s something that will be spoken about.”

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