Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed in a recent interview that his squad is too big. Which players should be the first to leave in January?
The Hoops boss admitted to the media prior to Sunday’s St Johnstone clash that having such a large playing squad at his disposal can lead to a bit of ill harmony in the dressing room, with players of quality desperate to be playing every week.
As quoted by The Scottish Sun, he said:
But we have too many players that either didn’t go out because they felt the need to stay at Celtic and play and some people that couldn’t get a club.
So that has meant that our squad is very, very bloated.
I think that when I came in here I mentioned that we had 29 in our squad plus goalkeepers which I felt was way too big to work on quality and now we’ve actually got more than that.
So which players should the club be actively trying to find moves for when the transfer window opens again on January 1st?
One of the first names up would undoubtedly be Scott Allan, who hasn’t made a competitive appearance for the club since way back in May 2016. He did appear on the bench three times at the start of UEFA Champions League qualifying this summer, but hasn’t been seen since. It’s fair to say he doesn’t have a long-term future at the club after loan spells at Dundee, Hibernian and Rotherham.
Another midfielder whose time is surely up is Eboue Kouassi. The 20-year-old has been one of Rodgers more expensive transfer mistakes, arriving in January 2017 for a seven-figure fee. Since then he’s made 19 appearances but has rarely impressed. His most recent match was a disastrous display in August against Hearts at Tynecastle, a fixture the Hoops lost 1-0. Rodgers claimed recently that despite his lack of action he’s been giving Scott Brown competition on the training pitch but it’s both hard to see him play regularly for the club and hard to figure that he’s happy out of the team.
In defence Celtic aren’t exactly blessed with big numbers and great depth, but one player that should be shown the door is the ever-missing Marvin Compper. The former RB Leipzig man is one of the most puzzling Hoops signings in recent years, with many confused about why he was signed and why he has barely played since joining in the last January transfer window. The German has made just one appearance for the club, against lower league opposition in the Scottish Cup. He was last seen in a matchday squad back in March, an unused substitute against Motherwell. We’re sure he’s a nice guy, but do we really have to keep paying him a wage?
Which players would you like to see leave Celtic in January? Share your thoughts in the comments below…