Former Celtic striker and BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton believes the club will have an epic rebuilding job to do this summer, predicting that a number of first-team regulars are on the verge of an exit from Celtic Park.
After two enormously successful years under Brendan Rodgers, with a third one on the same track, many are predicting there will be a changing of the guard at the club this summer, with key players ageing and others set to have their transfer value realised.
Sutton is firmly of that mindset and has named five players he thinks may not be here this time next year.
Writing in his Daily Record column, he said:
Dedryck Boyata will leave and I am becoming more and more convinced this will be Scott Brown’s last season at Parkhead.
Mikael Lustig will probably go, I’d imagine Scott Sinclair’s future beyond this year is in doubt and Olivier Ntcham is likely to be sold at the end of the campaign, if not sooner.
All of a sudden it looks like this Celtic team is coming to the end of its cycle, to nick Pedro Caixinha’s old phrase.
When you look at the entire Celtic squad right now, it’s clear there is going to be a massive rebuilding job done next summer.
You’d be hard push to disagree with any of that, with signs of all five potentially being on their way out of the club.
Scott Sinclair has found a bit of form recently but has been increasingly criticised over the last year for poor performances, while Mikael Lustig is very much in the same boat and has his contract expiring.
Boyata is almost certainly ready to leave with his contract expiring and Scott Brown has yet to make a decision on his long-term future after being offered a deal to play in the Australian A-League.
That just leaves Olivier Ntcham, who does not look the same player this season as he did last, losing his spot in the starting eleven to Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie.
With big clubs circling for his signature, are Celtic set to cash in on him too?