The 6 players who could still leave Celtic in January transfer window

It had to happen sometime, didn't it?

The break-up of Ange Postecoglou's Scottish Premiership and League Cup double-winning class of 2021-22 has begun in earnest.

Josip Juranovic's reported £10million move from Celtic to German side Union Berlin has got the ball rolling on that front. Will Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis be the next big-name exit to follow the Croatia international out the Parkhead exit door?

With exactly one week of the January transfer window left the question on every Celtic's supporters' lips - in the wake of the 27-year-old's departure - is whether it will spark a mass exodus from Glasgow's east end.

Celtic have a big squad as it is and Postecoglou somehow needs to trim off some of the excess fat.

So who exactly is surplus to requirements and which players could be offloaded in this January window? Let's take a look...

Conor Hazard

The 24-year-old shot-stopper has recently returned from a successful loan spell at HJK Helsinki where he won the Veikkausliiga title and featured in European ties against Roma and Real Betis. That is not to be sniffed at in terms of his own development and footballing CV - however the Northern Ireland international is unlikely to displace either Benjamin Siegrist or Scott Bain as backup to number one Joe Hart. It looks increasingly likely that the Scottish Cup winner will have to seek a regular diet of first-team football elsewhere. As such, Celtic should be willing to listen to offers for his services.

Verdict: Expendable

Moritz Jenz

The affable German is currently on loan from Ligue 1 side FC Lorient and the Hoops have an option-to-buy clause installed in the deal. He has featured 19 times and has scored two goals this season and became an early Hoops fans' favourite mainly due to the absence of Carl Starfelt. Since the Swede's return to fitness and form, as well as the arrival of natural left-sided centre-back Yuki Kobayashi, it's fair to say that he has slipped back down the pecking order. While the 23-year-old is "understood to be exploring his options" and a number of clubs in Germany are thought to be interested in him, the possibility of the Hoops taking up the option to buy clause looks a more remote one with every passing day.

Verdict: Expendable

Stephen Welsh

Celtic are reportedly willing to listen to offers for a player who has shown promise but not been able to nail down a regular first-team gig. Like with Jenz, the arrival of Kobayashi also puts Welsh even further out of the picture. Despite scoring the first goal of the 2022-23 campaign against Aberdeen, he has made just six appearances totalling 540 minutes. He may well benefit from a loan spell away from the Hoops rather than a permanent one just yet and has already been linked with a plethora of clubs including Udinese, Toulouse and Hajduk Split as well as MLS sides. Celtic would be wise to hold off on any permanent transfer away from Paradise at this juncture.

Verdict: Expendable (but only on a loan deal for now)

Oliver Abildgaard

It's time for the Dane to go. It has simply not happened for a player whom the club initially had high hopes for after securing him on a short-term deal. He has made just nine appearances - all as a substitute - and clocked just 209 minutes in a variety of competitions to no great effect. Danish side AaB Aalborg are reputed to be keeping tabs on him and a return to Denmark might be the ticket for the midfielder to get his ailing career back on track. Celtic simply have to cut their losses on this one.

Verdict: Expendable

James McCarthy

The self-confessed Celtic supporter has made just 27 appearances and played a total of just 931 minutes since his dream switch to his boyhood idols and it hasn't worked out for him. The former Republic of Ireland international has never shaken off the fringe player tag for the Hoops and may well benefit from seeking a new challenge because he ain't breaking into that Celtic midfield anytime soon. Homegrown player or not, a January exit could be beneficial to all parties concerned.

Verdict: Expendable

Yosuke Ideguchi

Ideguchi has had both bad luck and injuries while watching every one of his compatriots have a major bearing on Celtic's recent success. He must wonder if he is cursed. While the 26-year-old still has three-and-a-half years left on his current deal - which puts the Hoops in a strong bargaining position in some ways - the sensible move would be for a mutual parting of ways which would allow the player to try to resurrect his club career elsewhere.

Verdict: Expendable

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