Rodgers has issued a warning to any players who might want to move on in the final weeks of the summer window

22:30, 19 Aug 2025Updated 22:50, 19 Aug 2025

Brendan Rodgers(Image: SNS Group)

Celtic have their sights set on landing a bumper European payday but boss Brendan Rodgers has reminded his stars who is still signing the cheques.

Hoops fans have been so desperate to see new faces walking in to the front door at Parkhead they’d not even thought about the prospect of some of their star men leaving out the back.

Rodgers has had to keep an eye on both. And the Hoops boss dropped something of a bombshell on the eve of his side’s crunch Champions League clash with Kairat Almaty.

Rodgers pretty much admitted he’ll be relying on some players to get to the Champions League who might not be around if they get there.

But he warned any want-away stars to remember where their dosh is coming from.

Rodgers wants no distractions going into this £40m showdown. There’s too much at stake for everyone to get caught up with some of the nonsense surrounding the transfer window – but he is well aware it exists.

There’s already been murmurings about Daizen Maeda considering a new challenge. Defender Auston Trusty is understood to be attracting attention, along with midfielder Reo Hatate.

Rodgers has demanded 100 percent attention though and said: “I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players. I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because, like you say, there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end of the window.

“And it can be, and I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking, are they staying, are they going?

“But in the midst of that, you’ve got really important games. So, I’ve already mentioned this to players a number of weeks back, just about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season.

“However, the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic. And whilst it is, you need to perform. So, you don’t need to worry about anything else.

“I respect and acknowledge that it can be tough. It’s basically, are you going to be here or are you not? Celtic pay your wages and while they do, you focus on doing the very best you can for Celtic.

“In fairness to the players, they’ve been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games, they’ve been very, very good.

Daizen Maeda and Brendan Rodgers(Image: SNS Group)

“So now we have to keep this going. And then, like I said, come the end of the window, that’ll be the squad for the rest of the season.

“This is a massive game. There’s always that feeling when I was here first, the big games seem to be right at the very beginning. And this is exactly what this is, because this tees you up for the rest of your season.”

Rodgers has been in this movie a few times, tackling a Champions League play-off at the tail end of a transfer window.

But he’s hoping for an easier ride than previously. Celtic were five goals up in ties Hapoel Beer Sheva and Astana during his first spell – but had to hang on in the return games.

Rodgers will take charge of his 800th game as a gaffer tonight – but few were as stressful as that pair.

He said: “Not many! I think the Be’er Sheva one was the best 2-0 loss I ever had in my life.

“It was funny, because we were so good in the game here, and then we conceded a couple of late goals, 5-2, and then all of a sudden we’re 2-0 down.

“And then the guy at the end of the game, he’s had a brilliant shot from outside the box that looked like it was rocketing right into the top corner for 3-0. But we got through, and that was important.

“So, that set us off on a real good journey that season. And then obviously after that, Astana. And it just shows you that, okay, the end result, the end aggregate score, that was 8-4, but there was a little period in the second half where we had to calm everything down.

“And then it doesn’t look like there was anything to worry about, but you always have moments. For us, I think we’re prepared for that.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers speaks with Hapoel Beer-Sheva’s Ben Sahar after the game

For all the transfer talk, Rodgers feels more comfortable and confident going in than he did on those frantic nights – when he had the likes of Nir Bitton and teenage Eoghan O’Connell in defence.

He said: “Yeah. You can get distracted sometimes by what you don’t have.

“But what I know I have is I’ve got guys that are understanding the structure of the team really, really well, how we want to play, how we want to work. They’re gaining fitness all the time and are really motivated to get there.

“So I would say that from a stability wise, this is probably the most stable that we’ve been, sort of compared to those couple of games.

“I remember having to bring Kolo Toure in later on in the Be’er Sheva game. So this year is a lot more stable.

“I think it’s very beneficial when you’ve gone through it, just for mindset, also for preparation as well.

“The squad is very relaxed, we’re focused on the game. We’ve started the season well, a really good performance in the last game. We’re fully prepared to go into this type of game.

“There’s a number of us that have experienced it before, so we know the importance of the home leg.”