Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers hoping for 'two or three high-quality additions' in the summer

Brendan Rodgers says he will be looking for “two or three high-quality additions” to improve his Celtic squad in the summer if they can keep hold of all their key players.

Kieran Tierney is set to return from Arsenal, and the manager insists they will need to be flexible and ready to react to anyone else leaving.

The Hoops are one game away from securing another domestic treble, which will represent their sixth clean sweep in the last ten years.

Rodgers believes that those looking from the outside in will never fully appreciate the hard work that goes into being so successful so consistently.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, ahead of their midweek Premiership clash with Aberdeen, he said: “This stage of the season is such an exciting time as a Celtic player, but you can never look too far ahead.

“We want to challenge for trophies, and we will pick up one on Saturday, which is a great reward for your sacrifices and the great play you’ve produced.

“Then in 11 days time we will have the opportunity to pick up another trophy in the Scottish Cup final, but you only get into that position by focussing on each day as it comes.

“We will enjoy Saturday, hopefully we can put on a good performance and win the game, but irrespective of that it is always a really special day.

“It’s a mark of the club and everyone involved to become a champion, not just the players or the manager, but everyone at the club who have sacrificed to make this club successful.

“I think it’s very difficult to envisage (just how much work goes into winning a title) unless you are directly involved in it every day.

“Naturally when you are as consistent as we are as a club, and playing as well as we do, then people tend to shrug their shoulders at it like it’s commonplace and always going to happen.

“There is so much work that goes into it, right the way through the season.

“With the squad I have here, if we keep everyone, then we’d still be looking to make a few changes to upgrade that but you never know which way the summer goes.

“Either way, we will be really excited for next season to take on the challenge of the league again and look to progress again in Europe.”

Despite a season of domestic dominance and progression in the Champions League, Rodgers is still keen to improve his squad for next season, but knows who they bring in could depend on who departs.

And he signalled he could dabble in the domestic transfer market again as he stressed the importance of a Scottish core.

Luke McCowan has enjoyed a successful first season at Celtic Park since joining from Dundee with Tierney secured on a pre-contract.

Celtic could join a number of teams competing for Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller after showing interest in the 18-year-old in January.

He said: “You always want to look within and see if there are any players in the academy who are ready to make the step up, then you look outside for new recruits.

“It has been very difficult in recent times just because of the level the team and the club are operating at. But there is a pathway for a young players here 100 per cent, with patience and a bit of development.

“The second look of course is outside. I have loved working with the Scottish players when I have been up here. Going back to my first spell I had Ryan (Christie) and Stu (Armstrong) and all the other guys. They were absolutely brilliant for me.

“That is what we do. We look homegrown to see if there is anyone we feel can improve our squad, to see if there is a young player who can come in and has that potential to be a starter here. So it is always something we cover in our recruitment.”

Rodgers stressed it was important to have a Scottish core.

“It’s very important whatever league you are in,” he said. “If you are in Spain having a Spanish core is important, if you are in Italy it would be an Italian core. For me, it is absolutely key.

“The boys who have come through at Celtic here understand what this club is about. They have been here as young guys, they have come through, they are brought up in the values of Celtic.

“Guys like Tony (Ralston) are really pivotal to the culture of this club. He doesn’t play every single game, but he is probably one of our most important players here because of his history at the club.

“But also the likes of Greg Taylor, the other Scottish boys, not just the guys who have come through here, are important. Scott Bain doesn’t play hardly ever, but he has been a real leader behind the scenes as well. Having the Scottish core here is 100 per cent key to your success.

“We have to adapt to situations as well, and we know there is always a player trading model here and we will probably get some offers for our players in the summer, and if that happens we will need to be flexible enough to adapt to that.

“If I could say that everyone here now was going to stay, then I’d say we would only need around two or three players of high quality coming in to improve on that.”