Celtic

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to face St Mirren in Sunday's Premiership opener.

Here are the main points:

• Rodgers, who is in the final year of his deal, says there's been no formal contract offer from the club but there has been "conversations" with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson.

• Rodgers is "very happy" at Parkhead and hinted he'll see out his contract but admits there are "conditions" to his long-term future in Glasgow: "If there's just something to maintain, I'm not the manager for Celtic, it will be someone else."

• He adds: "But to build and grow and develop and push, then of course I love being at Celtic. I'm not the one that's going to sit here and just maintain levels. My commitment here to Celtic is this is a really fast-moving club and you have to keep moving, move quickly."

• After losing "important players", Rodgers stresses the "need to improve in the front end of the pitch" and is hopeful the squad will look slightly different by the end of the window.

• He would "like to have players in now" but is fully focused on the current squad at the moment.

• On Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Rodgers is hopeful his season-long loan from Man City will be confirmed today, adding the defender's profile "fits" with what Celtic want from their centre-halves.

• Rodgers also admits Simpson-Pusey will likely be Celtic's "last central defender" signed in this window.

• While Celtic's aims for the season are to be successful, the boss adds "it's not just about winning, it's about how we win".

• When the Celtic boss heard Paul McStay would be at Parkhead to unfurl the title flag, Rodgers says he "went back into boy mode" and can't wait to see him at the weekend - "what an amazing icon of the club he is".

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Celtic have entered into a cooperation agreement with Ayr United that will allow more playing opportunities for the Parkhead club's emerging talent.

Jude Bonnar and Kyle Ure, both 19, have already moved on loan from the champions to the Championship side.

Ayr, who are managed by former Parkhead skipper Scott Brown, say a third Celtic player "will be joining soon".

Under new player partnership agreements, which came into effect this summer, up to three young players can move more freely between the parent and lower-league club, with the aim of aiding the development of young Scottish talent.

"We think this new arrangement with Ayr will prove to be very useful to both clubs and of course to the young players who we are looking to support and develop," said Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

"I know Scott and his staff will provide our young players with a fantastic environment over the next period and this will be crucial in their development and their transition to our first team."

We asked for your views on how Celtic are shaping up for the new season, which gets under way this weekend.

Here's what some of you said:

George: I still think we are a striker and left-back and midfielder short, especially if we get to the Champions League.

Robert: Two good signings in Benjamin Nygren and marquee arrival Kieran Tierney, the others are projects and not first-team ready or may be just making up the numbers. I don't feel Brendan Rodgers has had the backing that he was expecting, might be his last season in Scotland because of this, will be interesting to see how the first Old Firm derby will shape the first half of the season.

Liam: Celtic are in a strange setting going into Rodgers' third season. Lack of depth up front and in central defence, we seem almost vulnerable going into what should be an exciting season, however the mood among the fanbase is anything but. Animosity towards the men in the boardroom, record bank balance and fans demanding it be seen on the pitch prior to the deadline. Risky business ahead of a tricky start with trips to Pittodrie and Ibrox and a Champions League qualifier. Come 1 September, I have a bad feeling Celtic Park is going to be a very, very toxic atmosphere.

Tim: No way should Adam Idah be allowed to leave Celtic. It's complete nonsense to suggest Brendan Rodgers wasted £10m signing him, as Norwich were about to give him a free transfer. Anyone can see Rodgers is a genius - and so is Idah! They've both got "Celtic blood"! Keep the faith.

Celtic had top scout Paul Tisdale checking out Swedish centre half Viktor Eriksson in action for Hammarby on Thursday. (Scottish Sun), external

Celtic and Rangers are among the clubs being linked with 20-year-old Monaco left-back Kassoum Ouattara. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

Celtic have been told that Slovan Bratislava may look to cash in on striker David Strelec if they don't reach the group stage of the Champions League. (Sport24 via Daily Record), external

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Celtic great Paul McStay will unfurl the title flag at Parkhead on Sunday as Brendan Rodgers' side kick off their league season against St Mirren.

Former Scotland midfielder McStay won eight honours over the course of 16 years at Celtic, making almost 700 appearances for the club.

Manager Rodgers is expecting the 60-year-old to get "an incredible reception" when the champions' flag is raised at Celtic Park for a fourth straight season.

"Paul was a great player. He always gave you hope watching Celtic," Rodgers told Celtic's club website.

"You always felt that, in those tough times when Celtic maybe suffered a bit, he could produce that moment of magic.

"He was a brilliant player, a really humble guy. He will get an incredible reception and it will be amazing to see him again."

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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What could Celtic fans expect from Manchester City centre-half Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

The teenage defender is close to completing a loan move to the Scottish champions after captaining City's Under-21 side to a record fourth Premier League 2 title.

At the age of just 19, the youngster has already played six times in Pep Guardiola's first team, with starts in the Premier League and Champions League.

An injury crisis last term was a key reason why the centre-back was thrown into the senior set-up, but his involvement highlights the trust Guardiola has in the defender.

The England youth international made his Premier League debut last November, starting away to Brighton.

Despite the match ending in defeat, former Barcelona boss Guardiola heaped praise on Simpson-Pusey's display with City missing several high-profile players at the time.

"It's not easy for him," said the Spaniard. "Normally the young lads, they must come in with support from the team, with Rodri in front of them, right? With the best Kyle [Walker], and defenders, and now we support him.

"Now he's playing in a position that is difficult for him, but he performed unbelievable. We have a central defender to help us for the future.

"I'm really pleased. Always there is good news when a situation goes bad, and this is one of them."

Simpson-Pusey played another five times last term in a difficult spell for City, including a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Sporting.

He tasted victory just once, coming on in an 8-0 win over Salford City in the FA Cup.

The defender was not involved in the first team from January and ended the campaign leading City to a Premier League 2 play-off final victory over Southampton.

After that success at youth level, and getting a taste of senior football, he feels he has served his time in the academy.

Speaking to BBC Sport in May, he said: "I feel like I've done what I've needed to do with the Under-21s. I just want to play first-team football.

Asked if it would be at another club, Simpson-Pusey replied: "I guess we'll see [what happens]. That's not on my mind yet. I'm definitely ready.

"I've not spoken to anyone about it. I'm sure some people will feel the same, especially after winning the league."

Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Right-back Alistair Johnston says Celtic want another fast start to the season as the champions strive to retain the Premiership title.

Brendan Rodgers' side kicked off last term with seven successive league wins and only dropped four points in their opening 16 games as they charged clear at the top.

Celtic kick off the new campaign at home to St Mirren on Sunday and will find out their Champions League play-off opponents the following day.

"Three points count now as much as they do at the end of the season," Canada international Johnston told Celtic TV.

"When we look back at last season, we had a good start and that made a difference come the end of the season.

"If you do your work early you can take a lot of pressure off, especially when the season gets really busy in the winter.

"We know how important it is to come out of the blocks strong, and this year we have Champions League qualifiers as well, so it's a big month for us from the get-go."

Johnston says unfurling the league flag this weekend will give Celtic's new signings "an understanding of what the minimum requirements are at this club".

He added: "It's also motivation from day one because we want to do that again. You're expected to win trophies and that's what it's all about."

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• This fixture is a repeat of Celtic and St Mirren's final league game of last season, a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park. Celtic have won both previous occasions that they have faced the Buddies on matchday one of a league season, winning 5-1 in 1916-17 and 1-0 in 2008-09.

• St Mirren have lost 11 of their past 13 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D2), while away from home the Buddies have lost 33 of their past 38 visits to the Hoops (W1 D4).

• Celtic have won their opening game in 16 of the past 17 league seasons, the only exception being 2021-22 when they lost 2-1 to Hearts under Ange Postecoglou. When playing at home on matchday one, Celtic have won 22 of their past 23 openers, the other being a 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock in 2007-08.

• St Mirren have won their season opener in both of the past two Scottish Premiership campaigns after only winning on matchday one in two of their previous 13 top-fight participations beforehand (D4 L7).

• Celtic's Brendan Rodgers is unbeaten in 12 league openers as a manager across spells with Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City (W10 D2) since a 3-0 defeat with Liverpool against West Brom in 2012-13.

Celtic 24-year-old Adam Idah is among the names Udinese are pursuing to strengthen their attack following Lorenzo Lucca's departure to Napoli. (Tutto Udinese), external

Adam Idah is going nowhere amid suggested interest from Udinese as Celtic and the Irish striker both see a big season ahead for him with the Scottish champions. (Mark Hendry on X), external

Plymouth Argyle have made a loan offer for 25-year-old Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh, who spent last season with Mechelen, with the Belgian club having been unable to reach an agreement with the Scottish champions to make the move permanent this summer. (Sky Sports), external

Norwich City have bowed out of discussions to sign 23-year-old Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun and the Championship club have moved on to other targets. (Mark Hendry on X), external

Go Ahead Eagles have made it clear that they will not sell Celtic target Jakob Breum for anything less than £5m this summer, with the Dutch club having to pay 25% of a sell-on to the 21-year-old winger's former club, Odense. (Daily Record), external

Basel have agreed a deal to sign Andrej Bacanin for a £2m fee plus £600,000 add-ons from Cukaricki, who previously reported interest from Celtic and Rangers in the 18-year-old midfielder. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Tino
Fan writer

As the new season kicks off this Sunday, it's hard not to feel a mix of both frustration and optimism.

The lack of meaningful first-team signings so far has been disappointing, especially with clear areas still needing strengthened.

As fans we expected more urgency in the transfer market, and - Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren aside - the silence has only added to the tension.

That said, there's still a strong sense of belief in the core squad and our ability to once again have a successful campaign domestically.

Europe, however, may be a different matter.

In Brendan Rodgers we have a manager who we trust to get results where it matters most, but the lack of backing (so far!) leaves us wondering what the man himself must be thinking.

A strong start on Sunday against St Mirren would help settle some nerves, but some quality reinforcements wouldn't go amiss either.

In the meantime, here are our big predictions for the 2025-26 season:

Where will you finish in the league and why?

Celtic will once again finish top of the pile, making it 14 titles from the last 15 available. Put simply, Rodgers doesn't know how NOT to win this league and will ensure we do so once again - whether he's here next season or not.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

It simply has to be Tierney. For us to secure the signing of a player who has spent his past six years with Arsenal and is still just 28 years of age is outrageous. Celtic have no right to sign a player of KT's calibre and it's clear his passion for the club has been the deciding factor here. To see him walking out this weekend on flag day will be a massive moment for all.

What do you want from your manager this season?

Domestic success, progress in Europe, and his signature on a contract extension running beyond the end of this season.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

From a homegrown point of view, there are high hopes for young Dane Murray at centre-half, but that aside this could (and will!) be a massive season for Arne Engels. Time for Celtic's £11m man to shine.

What is your one major concern?

That the longer it goes unresolved, the uncertainty around Rodgers' long-term future may cause unrest among both fans and players alike. He is vital to everything Celtic do and the sooner this one is resolved the better.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Celtic hope to bolster their squad with new signings "this week", says manager Brendan Rodgers.

The Scottish champions, who begin their title defence against St Mirren on Sunday, have reportedly had three bids rejected, external for Go Ahead Eagles attacking midfielder Jakob Breum and are said to be in talks, external to sign 19-year-old Manchester City centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan.

Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren are Celtic's main new arrivals amid six incomings this summer, while key men Nicolas Kuhn and Greg Taylor have departed and strike talisman Kyogo Furuhashi was sold in January.

"Yeah, well, we hope this week there might be some news on that," Rodgers told Sky Sports of imminent transfer activity.

"Coaches and the transfer market don't move at the same pace. A coach always wants a player in immediately, but the transfer market doesn't always work like that.

"A lot goes into it, but it's also the reason for pre-season. You want your team together as quickly as you can so you can get good work in, get the togetherness, get the spirit, everything formed.

"But we know that traditionally it can be a challenge. By the end of the window, hopefully that will be the case. In the meantime we're working very, very hard. We're excited by what's here at the moment and looking forward to the weekend."

Rodgers has previously stressed the need for reinforcements and says it is simply "arithmetic".

He added: "It's purely counting. We've lost players and we want to replace those players with quality. So it's not an opinion, it's where it's at.

"We've lost key players and we want to replace those as quickly as we can to keep developing. I'm very hopeful that we can do that."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is keen on Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, with the English champions open to letting the 20-year-old Spanish defensive midfielder leave in the summer transfer window and a loan-to-buy deal being the likely structure. (TeamTalk), external

Celtic are in talks to sign 19-year-old Manchester City centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on a season-long loan, but a number of clubs in England are also keen. (Sky Sports), external

Marco Tilio's departure from Celtic to Rapid Vienna on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy has been delayed because the Scottish champions will not let the 23-year-old forward leave until they secure a replacement. (Kurier), external

Go Ahead Eagles are standing firm on their valuation of Denmark Under-21 attacking midfielder Jakob Breum, with the Eredivisie club looking for at least £5m after Celtic had two bids for the 21-year-old rejected - the latest offer being £2.6m - but negotiations are ongoing. (Sky Sports), external

Twente submitted an offer for Jakob Breum that was higher than Celtic's initial bid of £1.5m for the winger and Go Ahead Eagles have since rejected the Scottish champions' latest £3m offer as they hold firm for £6.5m. (The National), external

Go Ahead Eagles chief executive Jan Willem van Dop says they will only sell one of Oliver Antman, the 23-year-old who is a target for Rangers, and fellow winger Jakob Breum, for whom they have rejected bids from Celtic, this summer. (De Oosttribune), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Chris Sutton feels his former side Celtic are starting the new season with a weaker squad than last term.

The ex-striker has also warned the Scottish champions they could be taking a Champions League risk if they do not strengthen soon.

Celtic have brought back Kieran Tierney and signed Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren and Japan attacker Shin Yamada, but fellow summer signings Hayato Inamura and Callum Osmand could take time to reach first-team level.

The Glasgow side sold Nicolas Kuhn - one of last season's star performers - to Como and will be without injured winger Jota for a long-term period. Left-backs Greg Taylor and Jeffrey Schlupp have also departed.

"If you look at the squad going into the season, it's still a little bit light," Sutton said prior to Celtic's league opener with St Mirren on Sunday.

"Brendan Rodgers, everything I've seen him hint and say, he feels the same. The fact Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses.

"I think that's a little warning shot across the bows to say 'we need to bring players in'. It's fair to say the squad aren't as strong right now as they were at the end of last season, and that's not ideal. But there's still plenty of time left in the transfer window.

"If you look back at last season, Celtic won the league in the first half of the campaign. They won 16 of their first 18 games, set off like a house on fire and there was real momentum going into the season from pre-season. It doesn't quite feel like that at the moment.

"And they didn't have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers last season and we know how enormous they are for the club."

Celtic will have to win a play-off to avoid dropping into the Europa League and the first leg will be on August 19-20.

"Celtic have been in this position before where they are signing players when the Champions League qualifiers have already begun," Sutton added. "That's not ideal.

"You don't want them learning on the job when the Champions League has started and then missing out. We know how massive these games are. If you're slightly off it, then you can get beat.

"We will find out at the end of next month whether Celtic have done enough. It's okay for pundits to say 'the board need to do more', but at the end of next month if Celtic bring another few players in of quality which is going to lift the squad, all well and good.

"If not, then clearly people are going ask questions about why they are weaker now than they were at the end of last season."

Celtic and Strasbourg have submitted offers for Manchester City's 19-year-old English defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Celtic are keen on Josh Brownhill, who announced his Burnley departure on Monday, but Brendan Rodgers' side could face competition from West Ham United. (Record), external

Basel and Sturm Graz are two of the five potential opponents Celtic will face in the Champions League play-off round. (Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Former Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan says Brendan Rodgers "won't let up" in his pursuit of new signings.

So far this window Celtic have brought Kieran Tierney back to the club following the expiration of his Arsenal contract while goalkeeper Ross Doohan and forward Callum Osmand have also signed on free deals.

Hayato Inamura, Shin Yamada and Benjamin Nygren take the number of new signings up to six so far.

However, Rodgers' side already lost Kyogo Furuhashi in the January window and winger Nicolas Kuhn followed suit this summer, departing for Serie A side Como.

And Sheridan thinks Rodgers will still feel there's more work to be done to his team.

"I think last season probably proved Rodgers' case where if you do back him, he is showing an improvement in Europe," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Take away the Borussia Dortmund game, they were a lot more competitive in the European games. I think everyone could see there was a real improvement.

"I don't think Brendan Rogers is the type to just be happy with that. He'll want to make an improvement and keep building and keep improving.

"I think he's shown he's not afraid to have a of a slight pop at the board in terms of the players they're bringing or how much they're backing him. I don't think he'll back down on that either.

"He's got his own standards and his own expectations on what he wants to do with the club, especially in Europe. So I can't see him letting up in terms of his demand for getting the supply of players that he needs."

Go Ahead Eagles are waiting to discover whether Celtic return for Jakob Breum after turning down three approaches for the Danish wide man from the Scottish champions. (Herald - subscription required), external

Celtic have raised their offer for Breum to £3m after bids of £1.5m and £1.75m, which included add-ons, were rejected by Go Ahead Eagles for the 21-year winger. (Glasgow Times), external

Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson has revealed Celtic have yet to revive their interest in winger Sondre Orjasaeter this summer after a £4m offer was rejected in January, with the Norwegian club demanding £7m for the 21-year-old. (Record), external

New Celtic forward Shin Yamada, 25, believes he has superior speed and strength to former club favourite Kyogo Furuhashi. (Sun), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

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Scott Brown is expecting 19-year-old Celtic midfielders Jude Bonnar and Kyle Ure "to add quality" to his Ayr United side on loan this season.

Bonnar made his third appearance as the former Celtic midfielder's side lost 2-1 in their final Premier Sports Cup group game away to St Mirren on Sunday.

And Brown credited the half-time substitute with helping turn the game in the Championship side's favour after going into the break two goals down to their top-flight hosts.

"The change of shape and personnel helped and I thought Jude coming into the middle of the park was exceptional and that helped us keep the ball - also a bit of urgency and aggresseness as well," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"Coming from Celtic to come in and play for us like that, it looks like he's been part of this team for some time."

Bonnar scored in his debut as a substitute in Ayr's opening 4-0 win over Arbroath and started their 3-0 defeat of Forfar Athletic, while Ure played the closing minutes in Paisley.

"Obviously, if you are good enough, you get game time and Jude so far has shown he's not out of his depth and he can probably push on again," Brown added.

"Kyle we've not seen too much of just yet, but he was only just in training the other day and gets his minutes on the park today.

"The two of them are fantastic footballers and it's another two lefties in the team and they have a good understanding of the game and they want to better themselves.

"Hopefully they can get game time and, at the same time, add quality on the pitch."

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Celtic will host Falkirk in the second round of the League Cup.

Brendan Rodgers' side welcomed the Bairns in last season's quarter finals, ultimately winning 5-2 in a game John McGlynn's side went ahead in twice.

Ties are due to be played on the weekend of 16th/17th August.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reiterated the need for transfer activity as his side prepare to begin their Premiership title defence against St Mirren on Sunday.

Rodgers' side finished their pre-season fixtures with a penalty shootout win over Al Ahli following a 1-1 draw.

While the Northern Irishman believes his current group of players are "in a really good place", he would like to add new faces for the challenges ahead.

"Well, I think the squad that we have currently is in a really good place," Rodgers said after the Al Ahli match.

"The guys that are here have worked very, very hard but we need to improve this squad in general so I'm hopeful that we can do that over the coming weeks.

"But the guys that have been with us from the first day and the guys coming in, they've worked so hard, put so much into it. And now we go back, we'll have a really good week when we get home, and then we'll look forward to the first day of the season next Sunday."

Celtic's most recent signing - Japan forward Shin Yamada - scored the winning penalty against Al Ahli after penning a four-year deal last week.

"He has been settling in," Rodgers said. "It's never easy, when you think where he's come from on the other side of the world, and then he's in straightaway, adapting to a new intensity, which is always tough. And then you're travelling.

"But he's worked very hard in training. It was nice for him to get that little moment at the end and this obviously rounds off our pre-season in terms of fixtures.

"It was a good exercise for us. Obviously, pre-season is about fitness, but it's also about togetherness and spirit and I think the players showed that in the second half. It's a nice way to finish."

Celtic could be in line for a sell-on fee with their former right-back, Josip Juranovic, being lined up for a big-money move to English football from Union Berlin. (The Herald On Sunday), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.