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Clean out Nir complete

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When you look at the squad there are a few players who are on the fringes, none more so than Nadir Ciftci.

You can’t ever see him playing for the Hoops again and the sooner he is off the wage bill the better.

Aidan Nesbitt and Jack Aitchison deserve their chance but it looks likely Moussa and Leigh will be the forwards who will dominate the game time up front this season.

In the midfield we have already seen Christie and Allan go on loan moves which hopefully are productive for both of them, they are both very talented players.

Liam Henderson is entering his last year in Hoops more than likely, he is too good to let go but not good enough to demand a spot, such is the bother of being stuck behind Scott Brown.

To that point, Nir Bitton must surely be sold, he barely featured for Celtic last season and as we are not playing 2 defensive midfielders as we did under Deila is surplus to requirements.

With Henderson, Kouassi, Ajer and Brown occupying the same position and with money available for the Isreali Internationalist he should be moved on.

The idea of bringing McGinn to Celtic to compete with 5 other players for 1 position is positively ludicrous.

Kouassi is the future and Ajer is transforming his game to a central defender, the others won’t get much game time this season.

The other midfielder who looks surplus to requirements is Gary Mackay-Steven, although the manager is an admirer and GMS has stated his willingness to fight for a place.

If a decent offer came in from another League it would probably be in everyone’s interests if he was sold.

He is good enough domestically, but isn’t going to take us further on the continent, nor will he displace Forrest or Hayes.

For the first time in a long time, Celtic are not looking to sell their best players in the off season, instead, we are looking to cut off the deadwood.

With Janko, Bailly and O’Connell joining the retired Toure off the wage bill, there is still a little pruning to be done from Deila’s bloated squad.

Who would you keep and who would you cut?

Celtic first team squad:

GoalkeepersC Gordon, De Vries – Keep

Defenders Izaguirre, Simunovic, Gamboa, Boyata, Lustig, Sviatchenko, McCart, Ralston, Tierney – Keep

Midfielders Brown, Sinclair, Armstrong, Hayes, Rogic, Ajer, McGregor, Forrest, Thomson, Kouassi – Keep

Bitton, Mackay-Steven, Henderson – Sell

Forwards Griffiths, Dembele, Nesbitt, Aitchison – Keep

Ciftci – Sell

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