Quality over quantity as Brendan Rodgers targets new additions

The new Celtic manager will look to bring in “two or three” players of substantial quality as the Parkhead side seek to maintain their domestic authority while also making a dent on the UEFA Champions League.

It is inevitable that what has become a bloated and imbalanced squad will be pruned and Rodgers will look not to work with significant numbers but rather players whom he believes can elevate the club to the next level.

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“All I ever want is the highest quality,” said Rodgers. “To me, it’s not about numbers. I need quality over quantity.

“When you have a level of two or three players that can really lift the group, you find they raise the bar.

“Of course, you inherit a group high on numbers and that needs to be cut, but you need to bring a couple in who can improve the squad.”

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There is a certain allure that comes with playing in the Champions League that may play a part in enticing players to the club this summer, but Rodgers has insisted that financially speaking he is not dependent on making the group stages of the tournament in order to sign players.

“I would hope to do business before the first Champions League qualifier,” he said.

“The club have been brilliant. I’ve spoken about a couple of targets and Peter and Dermot have been great in trying to progress those.

“I would hope they could be done, but it’s just going to take time.

“None of those are determined on whether or not we qualify for the group stages.”

Celtic’s business model in recent seasons has been to buy young talent, develop it and then sell on at substantial profit.

It has largely been a successful remit with Victor Wanyama’s name resonating to the sound of jingling coins this week with the imminent move of the Kenyan to Tottenham Hotspur. Celtic’s sell-on clause will bank them a tidy £1.5m on the back of the £12.5m they received for the midfielder when he went to Southampton.

Rodgers is understanding of the philosophy but hinted that he would also look to work with players who have the necessary experience to aid the club as they look to build their European reputation again.

“I understand all clubs that have a model,” he said. “From my talks and speaking to Celtic, they all want that [develop younger players].

“They would to get one in, develop and improve them and, of course, at some stage they will then move them on.

“But, of course, you need experience around that. There is no question about that. You need that quality of player.

“If you are a young player and then you have an experienced player who has been there, seen it and done it that will improve you. It’s balance, like everything.

“You need your squad balanced with youth and experience. The no fear of youth is great and I love it, but I also like the experience.”

There are a number of players, experienced and otherwise, whose futures are up in the air, with Kris Commons’ one of those speculated upon.

The playmaker was one of a number of players who did not join in with pre-season training due to surgery he underwent on a back problem at the end of the season. It is not apparent yet whether or not he will be fit to feature in any of the Champions league qualifiers, the first game of which takes place in the second week of July.

“He was one of a number of players not able to train – he has not been fit to train,” explained Rodgers. “We worked with a group of 20 players yesterday and obviously some of those guys were with the medical team. I’m not sure if he will be ready for the qualifiers. It would be close if he was.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers is already plotting Celtic’s route into the group stages of the Champions League.

The club face a journey to either Gibraltar or Estonia to take on Lincoln or Flora Tallinn as they take their first step on a journey they hope will ultimately pair them with the heavyweights of European football.

“They are games we have to navigate our way through,” said Rodgers. “It's 12 weeks until the opening games of the Champions League group stage and that's where we want to get to. For that we will maybe have to suffer a bit and take on these challenges earlier than we would want, but they are challenges we are relishing and that's our focus over the coming weeks.

“Little changes can hopefully change a lot for you, and that's something we will look to do. To give the players a totally different outlook on the game at this stage is obviously going to be difficult with so many important games.

“Normally pre-season is about building your fitness and getting ready for the first game of the season, but of course it's different. We will meet that challenge and I'm sure the players will be ready for it.”