Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes to add to his squad ahead of their William Hill Premiership opener against St Mirren.
Benjamin Nygren, Kieran Tierney and more recently Shin Yamada have added to Rodgers’ first-team options during pre-season but he has seen the likes of Nicolas Kuhn, Greg Taylor, Jeffrey Schlupp and Maik Nawrocki depart and lost Jota to long-term injury late last season.
Reports claim Celtic have had three bids rejected for Go Ahead Eagles midfielder Jakob Breum and have made an approach to sign Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan.
Questioned over his transfer plans, Rodgers told Sky Sports News: “We hope this week there might be some news on that.
“But, of course, coaches and the transfer market don’t move at the same pace. A coach always wants a player in immediately, but the transfer market doesn’t always work like that. There’s a lot that has to go into it.
“But it’s also the reason for pre-season. You want your team together as quick as you can, so you can get some good work in, get the togetherness, get the spirit, everything formed.
“But of course, we know that traditionally it can be a challenge. Hopefully that will be the case by the end of the window. But in the meantime we’re working very, very hard.
“We’re excited by what’s here at the moment and looking forward to the weekend.”
Rodgers talked about ambition last week after a 5-1 friendly defeat by Ajax – which followed impressive wins over Sporting Lisbon and Newcastle.
But he stressed that his stated desire for new players is based on realism first and foremost.
“I think it’s arithmetic,” he said. “It’s purely counting. We’ve lost players and we want to replace those players with quality. It’s not an opinion. It’s where it’s at.
“We’ve lost key players and we want to replace those as quick as we can in order to keep developing. I’m very hopeful that we can do that.”
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton this week claimed the squad was weaker than the group that finished last season but Rodgers would not be drawn on such comparisons.
“Listen, for me the focus is very much on what’s here,” he said. “We know we have work to do and I’m hopeful that we can get that done by the end of the window.
“But in the meantime, the players have worked fantastic over the course of this pre-season, some really good performances and growing and developing our spirit, which is going to be really important for us.”
