Things could have been very different though, as Celtic almost signed Rice 4-5 years ago in a deal that would have been worth around £5 million.

The defensive midfielder is seen as one of the UK's brightest young players and joined Arsenal as a replacement for Granit Xhaka .

Rodgers told the press: "Deals can often be complicated, and things that might have been there for three or four months can fall away. That's the challenge. It only takes one injury for a player who was lined up to come in.

"I remember when I was here the first time, we spent about three months looking for Declan Rice to come in. He was all set to come and all of a sudden they had an injury, he stayed and got in the team and the rest is history. That's not the club's fault. It's just the way it goes."

On Celtic's January transfer plans, Rodgers quipped: "We have a number of positions we want to prioritise. There are other positions where we won't be able to do anything until the summer. But we want to improve the squad, and the club are very happy to support that."

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