Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic have seven days in which to assemble a squad that won’t simply make up the numbers in the Champions League.
While the Parkhead club have recruited Kasper Schmeichel and secured the permanent returns of Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo, the expected influx of quality players capable of challenging for a place in the manager’s side has yet to materialise.
While Rodgers remains hopeful that situation can change when the transfer window closes at 11pm next Friday, he says he shares supporters’ frustrations that more business has not yet been done.
Next week will also see Celtic learn their fate in Europe with the draw for the revamped Champions League taking place in Switzerland on Thursday.
In his first season back at the club, Rodgers’ side were competitive in most of their six group matches but still only gathered four points and finished bottom of the group.
Parkhead manager Brendan Rodgers is still looking for reinforcements for his Celtic squad
Rodgers listens to Cameron Carter-Vickers, alongside John Kennedy, at training on Friday
And for the story this time to be different, the Northern Irishman feels there will have to be several pedigree additions to his squad in the coming days.
‘When we won the league last season my ambition was to come into this new format and see if we can break this barrier by coming through and into the knockout stages,’ said Rodgers.
‘I knew what we needed to do that. That is still very much in our plan. This club for the last number of years has played very well in games, but not quite been able to make the next step.
‘In order to do that as a manager, you know the improvements you have to make.
‘Last year we were close in a lot of the games. We won the first game for a wee bit of time (against Feyenoord). But we want to develop that and move forward. For that, I know what we need. Let’s hope we can.’
While Sheffield United’s American defender Auston Trusty is on the radar together with Mateusz Bogusz, an attacking midfielder with LAFC, Rodgers confirmed that nothing was imminent.
Asked to explain why the process appeared to have stalled, Rodgers replied: ‘Sometimes you may miss players in the market, who have gone.
‘There is availability, there is affordability, but there are still players we can get in who can allow us to grow and develop.
‘I don’t want to go too much into because we will be judged at the end of the market.
‘That’s when things really ramp up in this final week.
‘I am very happy with the signings we have made and that gives us the squad we had last season. But we want to improve and we have to improve if we are a club of ambition and we want to be better, then we need to look at that.’
Rodgers was asked if signing new players was contingent on other star names like Matt O’Riley first leaving.
‘No, because we haven’t spent a great deal of money in terms of where we expect to be at at as a club,’ he said.
‘I would be looking at us do business and it shouldn’t be reliant on players going out.
‘We are virtually running at the same as we were last season.
Kyogo Furuhashi is understood to be under consideration by Manchester City
‘If our idea is to improve, we should be looking to be active in the market.’
O’Riley remains a target for Brighton with the Dane likely to leave if the Seagulls table an offer of £25m.
Kyogo Furuhashi is a player Manchester City could swoop for if Pep Guardiola decides to seek cover, although there has been no move for the Japanese yet.
In both cases, Rodgers is adamant there will be a cut-off point next week to ensure Celtic are not scrambling around at the last minute to try and secure replacements.
‘For any player, it’s not going to go right down to the wire,’ said Rodgers.
‘We have a big week next week after the St Mirren match, preparing for our last game of this block.
‘I wouldn’t want that to be interrupted at all.’