BRENDAN Rodgers sat down with Odsonne Edouard’s agent yesterday as he made a fast start on his summer recruitment plans but warned Celtic fans not to expect “fortunes” being lavished on new signings.
The Parkhead side are basking in the glory of the first double treble in Scottish football history and already have £30m in the bank but the Northern Irishman admits there is a little prospect of the kind of game-changing investment which could might be able to transform their chances in the Champions League.
Instead, much of the focus will remain on developing a group of players, many of whom are already in what Rodgers calls their ‘asset age’ between 25 and 30, and who have already achieved something no other Scottish team ever has.
Read more: Tam McManus: The gap is huge - don’t bet against a Celtic triple treble
“Without being defeatist it’s always going to be very, very difficult for us,” said Rodgers, who is keen to make Edouard's loan deal from PSG into a permanent transfer. “The first challenge is to qualify and we have extra games this year. It depends what success is in Europe. What is success in Europe for a Scottish club?’
“We have to invest and improve. But the reality is that we can’t spend fortunes because there’s not masses of money there to do that. We can’t go and spend £110 or £120million.
Read more: Martin O'Neill insists Brendan Rodgers can follow up double treble with Celtic European success
“I need to push even harder now next year in relation to developing the players here first and foremost. And then bringing in players who can make a difference. There’s a constant need to improve. We have a really young group that are improving and developing, but to make a difference at that level needs greater quality.”
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