CELTIC TOLD THEY’VE REPEATED RANGERS’ TRANSFER BLUNDER AS £7.5M DUO QUESTIONED
Kris Boyd feels Celtic’s poor recruitment is a big reason for the Scottish Premiership winners’ deterioration under Brendan Rodgers, citing the £7.5 million central defense combination Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke as proof.
After winning the title in 2021, Steven Gerrard’s unbeaten side capitalised on Celtic’s problems under Neil Lennon, Rangers gave up any momentum with a number of weak transfer windows.
Kris Boyd, the Ibrox icon, sees a very similar situation at Celtic.
The Hoops dropped additional points against Aberdeen just a few days after the January window closed, prompting calls to’sack the board’. Unlike Ange Postecoglou, who used his expertise of foreign markets to expand into Japanese football, Brendan Rodgers’ second tenure has resulted in more missed opportunities than successes.
Celtic’s transfer business is questioned.
“If (Rangers) had added a few extra bits of quality, they might have kicked on more domestically (after winning the league under Gerrard),” Boyd said in an interview with the Scottish Sun. “However, a few disastrous transfer windows allowed Celtic to reclaim their domestic dominance.
“Performance standards at Ibrox dropped because certain new arrivals did not strengthen the squad. Other players went stale since there was no competition to keep them motivated.
“Celtic are now in the exact same scenario.”
The green-clad Glasgow giants have signed 11 players since the beginning of last summer. Only Luis Palma may be called a success, yet he still falls short of the late Jota.
Nat Phillips’ loan from Liverpool ended early, Nicolas Kuhn struggled to start for Kilmarnock, while Marco Tilio and Hyeon-Kyu Kwon left after a few months in Scotland.
Nawrocki and Lagerbielke, the defensive duo who cost £7.5 million, have only started eight league games together.
Gustaf Lagerbielke makes no secret of his Serie A dream.
“That £23.9 million (Celtic spent) has brought in a dozen players,” Boyd goes on to say. “But how many would be considered first picks when everyone is fit? How about Luis Palma? It is a big maybe. The remainder are on the margins. Alternatively, you could already be on loan.
Celtic spent approximately £7.5 million on two center halves: Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke. “Neither of them can remove Liam Scales.”
Rodgers revealed in December that the duo’s lack of opportunities was solely down to Scales’ good play and their slow adjustment to life in Scottish football. Lagerbielke considered leaving in January, but was turned down by Lecce in Serie A due to high cost.
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