Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers issues major transfer update after pre-season defeat to Estrela da Amadora in Portugal
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BRENDAN RODGERS insists Celtic must go for GOALS in the transfer market.
As SunSport first revealed, Celts are closing in on a £1million deal for Kawasaki Frontale striker Shin Yamada.
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Credit: PA
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Michel-Ange Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp
Credit: Getty
They are also in talks with Royal Antwerp over a swoop for winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha as a replacement for £17m Nicolas Kuhn who joined Como.
And Rodgers is eager for those negotiations to get over the line ahead of the big kick-off to the season.
He said: 'There's work going on behind the scenes.
'It's clear we need to improve the squad.
'There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes, there's loads of names floating about.
'We're clear that we need to improve our frontline.
'We lost Kyogo in January and another player with Nicolas gone.
'That's a lot of goals that's gone out of the team.
'So for us, we need to strengthen that area of the field. But the guys back home are working hard on that.'
Japanese left-back Hayato Inamura played the second-half in the 3-2 defeat to Portuguese side Estrela da Amadora on Saturday and looked solid again after his debut in Cork last midweek.
Inside the Estádio Nacional as Robert Grieve takes you on a tour of the famous venue which hosted Celtic's 1967 European Cup win over Inter Milan
But Celts are still looking for more back-up for Kieran Tierney - who played 45 minutes - with Brugge left-back Flavio Nazinho on their radar.
Rodgers added: 'The pre-season is always to asses.
'We know the model here at the club is always to improve them.
'Sometimes that means they come in and you assess and look, and look to see what's right for the development of them and the team.
'That's what I'm about, getting a collection of individual players that I can see development and improvement in.
'If they are going to be close to the first-team, they'll stay and do that. If not, we may feel they need to go out. Ina's that example.
'I just wanted to get the chance to see him and we'll continue to do that.
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'But we know in the background that if we need to move on that position, that if we need to move on that position, that's something that we will be ready to do.'
Celts lost 3-2 to Portuguese outfit Estrela da Amadora in the behind-closed-doors friendly in Benfica's training complex.
Reo Hatate and Adam Idah hit the net but some poor defending proved costly for Rodgers' side.
He added: 'There were some good moments for us.
'We're only two weeks into our preseason and the guys have had a really tough week which has been demanding.
'They were playing against a good side that move the ball well. They were a physical team too so it was a really good exercise for us.'
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