Celtic weaker than last season, says Chris Sutton
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton feels the Scottish champions are heading into the new season in a weaker condition than last term.
And Sutton warned Celtic could be taking a Champions League risk if they do not strengthen soon.
The Hoops have brought back Kieran Tierney and signed Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren and Japan attacker Shin Yamada, but other summer signings such as Hayato Inamura and Callum Osmand will perhaps take time to reach first-team level.
Celtic have sold Nicolas Kuhn - one of last season's star performers - to Como and will be without fellow winger Jota for a long-term period following his knee injury in the title-clinching win over Dundee United.
They have seen left-backs Greg Taylor and Jeffrey Schlupp depart and Yamada's arrival was an overdue replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi, who left in January without Celtic adding a forward.
There are obvious areas where the club need depth, despite the William Hill Premiership season kicking off for them on Sunday against St Mirren.
"If you look at the squad going into the season, it's still a little bit light," Sutton said at a William Hill event.
"Brendan Rodgers, everything I've seen him hint and say, he feels the same. The fact that Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses. I think that's a little warning shot across the bows to say 'we need to bring players in'.
"It's fair to say the squad aren't as strong right now as they were at the end of last season, and that's not ideal. But there's still plenty of time left in the transfer window.
"If you look back at last season, Celtic won the league in the first half of the campaign. They won 16 of their first 18 games, set off like a house on fire and there was real momentum going into the season from pre-season. It doesn't quite feel like that at the moment.
"And they didn't have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers last season and we know how enormous they are for the club."
Celtic will have to win a play-off to avoid dropping into the Europa League and the first leg will be on August 19-20.
"Celtic have been in this position before where they are signing players when the Champions League qualifiers have already begun," Sutton said. "That's not ideal.
"You want players in so you can work with them, so they get the idea of the way that the team works.
"You don't want them learning on the job when the Champions League has started and then missing out. We know how massive these games are. If you're slightly off it, then you can get beat."
Sutton added: "I'm not saying it's easy. It's never easy for Celtic and Rangers in the market they are in. We know what Celtic's model is in terms of bringing players in.
"We will find out at the end of next month whether Celtic have done enough. It's OK for pundits to say 'the board need to do more' but at the end of next month if Celtic bring another few players in of quality which is going to lift the squad, all well and good.
"If not, then clearly people are going ask questions about why they are weaker now than they were at the end of last season."
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