“This is not going to go away,” Chris Sutton on Celtic’s elephant in the room | OneFootball

Chris Sutton has revealed his opinion regarding Brendan Rodgers’ ongoing contract situation, as the manager enters the last year of his deal…

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic meets fans before the game Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 0 Jul 2025Cork SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh Ireland Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan Shutterstock

Despite discussions between Rodgers and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond over the summer, it appears that no significant headway has been made regarding a contract extension at this time. This should deeply concern everyone connected with the club.

With the Irishman now in his sixth year at the helm across two stints with Celtic, Sutton believes Rodgers’ long-term future will remain a frequent subject of debate throughout the season if the situation is not sorted.

Speaking in the Warm-Up Show Podcast, Sutton said: “The big talking point which everybody’s talking about is the fact that Brendan is in his last year of his contract.

“This is not going to go away until he signs or he says he is going to leave at the end of the season. You will keep asking the question to him, and you just work off the back of that. Brendan’s contract is important, but it’s about the here and now and starting the season well.”

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey of Manchester City during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Salford City at Etihad Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Manchester. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Celtic have already brought in Kieran Tierney, along with Callum Osmand, Benjamin Nygren, Ross Doohan, Hayato Inamura, and Shin Yamada this summer – and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is set to arrive on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City in the coming days.

As new signings continue to join under Rodgers’ stewardship, questions have been raised over whether his unclear future might deter potential recruits – but Sutton remains unconvinced that is the case.

“It depends on what sort of type you are,” Sutton said. “I do not think you necessarily think like that, especially in this day and age, where a manager has a bad month and can end up being sacked. Anything can happen.

Celtic player Kieran Tierney is embraced by manager Brendan Rodgers before coming on as a substitute during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

“It is one of those things; as a player, you look at the success that Celtic have had in recent seasons and think that it’s still a pretty good club to join right at this moment in time, and not be overly focused on that. That is a very individual thing, and different players may give you a different answer, but that would not be worrying me.”

Yesterday the Celtic manager spoke to Sky Sports, as reported on The Celtic Star, and talked up further activity in the transfer market before the window closes around a month from now.

Conor Spence

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