As John McGinn played against Celtic, Rodgers sent his recruitment message

The Celtic Star

·30 January 2025

As John McGinn played against Celtic, Rodgers sent his recruitment message

The end is clearly nigh for Maik Nawrocki. On the night John McGinn played against Celtic, Brendan Rodgers showed his bosses that he’s now in full charge of recruitment…

Maik Nawrocki during the Scottish Premiership match between Aberdeen and Celtic at Pittodrie on 13 August 2023. Photo Stephen Dobson PSI

£4.5m Celtic signing Maik Nawrocki

The signing of Maik Nawrocki was clearly a move sanctioned above the head of Brendan Rodgers, the same way it was for fellow defender Gustaf Lagerbielke and quite a few others in the summer of 2023.

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IMAGO Photo by Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock Gustaf Lagerbielke and Anthony Ralston of Celtic celebrate as the final whistle sounds. Final score Rangers 0 Celtic 1. Rangers v Celtic, Cinch Scottish Premiership, Ibrox , – 03 September 2023

Gustaf Lagerbielke is currently on loan to FC Twente with a more permanent move currently being discussed, as reported on The Celtic Star yesterday. But Maik Nawrocki, who has been attracting interest from Oxford United, still remains at Celtic Park although it’s hardly a secret that he’s well out of the picture, and that was laid bare in brutal fashion last night.

Signed for £4.5 million the Polish centre-back was highly rated, but he’s failed to impress and has been absent from several squads, failing to even made the bench on numerous occasions.

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Morgan Rogers scores his team’s fourth goal past Kasper Schmeichel and Dane Murray during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Dane Murray preferred to Maik Nawrocki

Last night though, he was named as a substitute for the trip to Villa Park due to injuries, but didn’t even get game time, with Brendan choosing to bring on young Dane Murray who’s last first team appearance for the club was well over three years ago when Ange Postecoglou was just in the door and was working with a threadbare squad as he looked towards major rebuild,

Dane Murray is a player who was playing in the Scottish championship with Queen’s Park just over a month ago so that’s surely got to be a sore one for Maik Nawrocki? He must realise that it is a sure fire signal from Brendan Rodgers doesn’t rate him and even in an emergency will play a player who has just returned from loan ahead of a £4.5m signing.

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Yang Hyun-Jun battles for possession with John McGinn during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The John McGinn lesson Brendan Rodgers has learned

It’s also a signal from Rodgers to his bosses that he is the one firmly in charge when it comes to signing targets. On a night when John McGinn was playing against rather than for Celtic because that was not always the case for Brendan at Celtic, it was a good point to make and don’t think that Brendan didn’t realise what message he was sending.

20th August 2023; Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland: Scottish Viaplay Cup Football, Kilmarnock versus Celtic; Marley Watkins of Kilmarnock tackles Maik Nawrocki of Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Oxford United might be a good option for Nawrocki

For Maik Nawrocki, who does seem like a decent enough player, a move in the next few days would be very much in his own interests. It’s just not going to happen for him in the Hoops.

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