BRENDAN Rodgers’ comments about Ukranian winger Maryan Shved show there is a rift between the Celtic manager and Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell, according to former striker Chris Sutton.

Rodgers revealed that he didn’t “know a great deal” about the 21-year-old after his side’s 4-0 win over Ladbrokes Premiership rivals St Mirren at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, and added: “We've got about a million wingers, we don't need another”.

The Northern Irishman was openly critical of the double treble winners’ transfer business during the summer after they failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages for the third year running.

And his midweek remarks suggest to ex-player Sutton that relations between the former Swansea City and Liverpool manager and a Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell have deteriorated during the January transfer window.

Speaking at a promotional event for The Sportsman’s Perfect 10 game, he said: “It was an odd response, but it was a response from him which tells you a lot about Celtic’s transfer policy. We saw it just before the window closed in the summer. He came out and said ‘we’re not getting deals done’.

“I think he could have worded things differently to be honest. He could have toed the party line. He chose not to. There seems to be some sort of breakdown in relationship with somebody. It seems to be there is some sort of rift with Peter Lawwell.

“I am not trying to create stuff. Brendan could have worded things differently, that is fair to say. Any words that come out of the mouth of any manager of Rangers or Celtic is a deliberate statement.

“Brendan is certainly not daft. He would have understood what he is saying, the stuff about having a million wingers. I don’t know why he had to say that. I don’t see what he has to gain by saying that other than he knows that people will read into it about how Celtic do their transfer dealings.

“He is saying that he isn’t party to this signing. His words were ‘we’ve got about a million wingers, we don’t need another’. He is clearly saying I have nothing to do with this signing.

“He could have gone down a different route and said ‘he’s a top young player, he is coming in, we will put him out on loan, he is one for the future’. That is what he could have said.

“Everyone would be none the wiser and moved on. The fact that he did chose his words mean that people will read into it. I wouldn’t say there is a grievance, but there does seem to be something. He is clearly not happy with something. You’re getting a right winger who the manager isn’t party to signing.”

Celtic have brought in Vakoun Issouf Bayo from Slovakian club Dunajska Streda and Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah on loan from West Brom and Paris Saint-Germain respectively during the January transfer window so far.

But Rodgers, who has been linked with a summer move to English Premier League club Leicester City, is set to lose his first choice centre half pairing Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata in the summer and is also keen to bring in a long-term replacement for right back Mikael Lustig.

“The focus for Celtic and for Brendan is on the here and now,” he said. “I think everyone knows there is a title race on. He will want to do the treble treble. There is no doubting his ability as a coach and as a manager.

“The situation regarding who Celtic are bringing in? Brendan chose the words so people will naturally read into it. People will look at that in all sorts of different ways.

“In terms of who Celtic are bringing in in the summer, their centre half pairing doesn’t look as if it’s going to be there. They have made it clear they need a right back. I would expect them to get somebody in in that area before the end of the window. There is a lot of work to do.”

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