Rodgers said he knows from his time at Chelsea, when he was reserve team manager during Jose Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, that it’s “impossible” to keep a squad of 25 first-class players happy, even when clubs are competing across multiple fronts. Rodgers also values the winning mentality that is cultivated at top clubs, and that he says is present in players like Jonny Evans, who came through during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Manchester United. Asked if it was a market City could tap into,
Brendan Rodgers said: “Yeah, that’s the natural path for some players at big clubs. I heard Jurgen (Klopp, Liverpool manager) talk the other week about the squad, how they’ve got so many good players and it’s really difficult to keep so many good players happy. I saw that at Chelsea as a young coach with Jose. There was a squad of 25, and they are 25 top international players. It’s impossible to keep them all happy. Eventually they want to play football because that’s why they love the game. They love the game when the stands are full and they’re performing. That’s always a market for a club like ourselves, looking at some of those clubs. But again, it always has to be players who have the hunger, and still want to learn. But that’s clearly a market, yeah.”
Rodgers has said that, ideally, his “healthy shake-up” will see City make five or six new signings, while it is understood the club are hopeful of signing starters at centre-back, in central midfield, and on the right wing.
