The 2023/24 season has finished and The Hoops were triumphant on the domestic stage. We were crowned the Scottish Premiership champions and also beat Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup, what could be better? Despite this fantastic success, manager Brendan Rodgers has not stayed quiet. He has done a range of interviews that hint about plans for the summer and potential squad changes.
If you are a sports betting fan and a Celtic fan, you will want to keep track of these changes. Knowing how the squad develops could help you when navigating betting sites in the UK and placing future wagers on Celtic’s Scottish Premiership odds for next year. Also, keeping track will allow you to potentially place some European bets too as Celtic is expected to compete in the European Cup.
Below, we review exactly what Rodgers has been saying and delve into whether this gives us any hints about potential transfers or departures during the summer transfer window.
2023/24 season round up
Let’s take a look at the season that has just finished. Overall, it was incredibly successful for Celtic, with the following accolades:
- Scottish Premiership Champions
- Scottish Cup Champions
- Scottish League Cup Knockout Phase
They won the Premiership by eight points against rivals Rangers, and also smacked Rangers in the Scottish Cup final. The only disappointment was their 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock in the knockout stage of the Scottish League Cup. They also performed poorly in the UEFA Champions League, finishing fourth in the group stage and claiming only four points with their only win coming against third place Feyenoord.
What are Brendan Rodgers summer plans?
After the completion of the 2023/24 season, Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers has done a series of interviews with Sky TV and other media outlets and has dropped a range of hints about squad changes and how they intend to progress further to make a push into Europe and continue Scottish domestic dominance.
In particular, he was interviewed by Sky Sports and asked what was needed to take the club forward and if any changes were needed during the summer.
Rodgers spoke about the typical three-year cycle and turnaround where Celtic players would usually play for the club for three years after which their future potential would be evaluated. He also spoke about wanting to bring in players with bigger profiles to the club and strengthening the already successful squad in an attempt to improve and transfer their domestic success into something else.
What does this mean?
This means that the current squad shouldn’t get complacent or feel that their place is guaranteed just because they won the domestic double. Yes, 2023/24 was a brilliant season, during which Celtic claimed their 54th Scottish Premiership title and 42nd Scottish Cup, but Rodgers obviously doesn’t want his players getting comfortable or feeling that they can take the foot off the pedal.
Some fans may react poorly to this news, as why would you make hints about transfers and shaking the squad up when the club has literally just won the double? This might seem ridiculous and like a slight to the players. However, it’s a tactic that’s been used before, and indeed, the players can’t slack off now. Sure, they can enjoy the summer off-season, but the 2024/25 campaign will soon come around and everyone needs to be ready to compete again.
Is a change needed?
Many people will ask if change is really needed. Why not just run it back with the same squad and build on the success they’ve had? Well, it’s clear that Brendan Rodgers has his eyes set on more than just domestic dominance. While the Scottish Premier League and cups are incredibly important, he wants to put Celtic back on the map in Europe.
To do that, the squad certainly needs more depth and bigger profile names. Competing in Scotland is one thing, but being able to hold your own in Europe is entirely different. To achieve Rodger’s vision, yes, change is needed, and the club owners appear to share the same vision where Celtic becomes a household name in Europe like they have been previously with their European Cup triumph in 1966, and UEFA Cup runners-up finish in 2002.
Potential positions that could be changed
So, how can the squad be improved? What positions could be up for grabs and where could the team be strengthened? We have several obvious changes needed due to current players and loans, but there are also hints that Brendan Rodgers has made.
Goalkeeper – Joe Hart retires
The one position that definitely needs filling is the goalkeeper. Joe Hart was an integral part of the Celtics 2023/24 squad and undoubtedly played a pivotal role in them claiming the Scottish Premier League title. We already knew that he would be retiring at the end of the season as he made his intentions clear as early as February.
The Hoops have two reserve goalkeepers — Scott Bain and Benjamin Siegrist and both have shown promise and could potentially be replacements for Hart. However, this could also provide the opportunity to bring in a top-flight goalkeeper with plenty of experience and talent.
With the mantra of pushing for European success, Brendan Rodgers may not want to simply rely on his reserve goalkeepers. It is more likely that Celtic will attempt to sign someone more proficient.
Loan deals ending – Bernardo, Adam Idah
Two other positions that need to be filled are those of Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo. Both these players are on loan to Celtic and their loan terms are up. Celtic can either attempt to renegotiate the loan terms and continue to work with Idah and Bernardo, or they can choose to sever ties with the players and move on.
Adam Idah is potentially a player they will want to retain. In his 15 appearances for Celtic, he scored eight goals, but more importantly, he scored the winning goal in the 2024 Cup Final against Rangers which ensured Celtic won the double. He has become a staple of the starting lineup, and many would be sorry to see him go.
Paulo Bernardo on loan from Benfica is arguably more disposable. For the first half of the season, he rarely came off the bench and had limited playing time. For many of the games he didn’t come on as a substitute either. Celtic could potentially end his loan terms and use the money elsewhere.
Potential shake-up in defence
Rodgers has hinted at some defensive changes, but Celtic do have a solid back four with Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Liam Scales. The teams goal difference was +65. With a goal away tally of just 30 across 38 Scottish Premiership matches, it could be argued that the defence is solid.
The summer could be pivotal for Celtic’s 2024/25 season and European contention
This is a strange situation. On the one hand, The Hoops have just won the Scottish double and lifted both the Scottish Premiership and Cup. From this, it looks like the squad is doing great and major changes aren’t needed.
However, it’s clear that Brendan Rodgers and other leaders are not satisfied with this and want to push further. They envision European success and for this, the strength of the squad must be built upon. Additionally, with loan vacancies and the retirement of Joe Hart, we can expect trading action during the summer period.
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