While Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be plotting further incomings in January to help bolster his squad, the upcoming window will also set be dominated by talk of potential departures, with outgoings likely to be firmly on the agenda for the Parkhead outfit.
One man who is currently believed to be angling for a move is Greece international, Giorgos Giakoumakis, with recent reports suggesting that the 27-year-old faces an uncertain future in Glasgow following a stall in contract negotiations.
Although the former VVV-Venlo marksman still has just over three-and-a-half years left to run on his current deal with the Old Firm giants, the belief is that the club could well move him on after failing to meet the player’s wage demands.
The Scottish champions may wish to think again before sanctioning that exit, however, with the 11-cap ace having proven a prolific figure at the club to date with 25 goals in 50 games in all competitions, notably finishing joint-top of the scoring charts in the Scottish Premiership last term with 13 goals in just 21 games.
While keeping the imposing forward on their books may well prove an astute move, Postecoglou and co could certainly be more ruthless with regards to Giakoumakis’ teammate, Yosuke Ideguchi, with it perhaps having already come to a point where the Japanese dud will need to be moved on.
The recent speculation – as per The Scottish Sun – is that the 26-year-old will be offered the chance to return to his homeland next month, with a number of J-League sides said to be keeping tabs on his current situation, ahead of a possible swoop.
The one-time Leeds United man only joined the Bhoys back in January earlier this year – alongside compatriots Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate – although has been unable to make a telling impact since then.
The anonymous asset – who was previously described as a “superstar” upon his arrival at the club by pundit Noel Whelan – has made just six appearances in all competitions for Postecoglou’s side to date, with all of those having come in the second half of the last season.
Having been ravaged by injury throughout his time in Scotland so far, there has been notable misfortune as far as the 5 foot 7 man is concerned, although it remains to be seen how long Celtic can keep patience with a player who simply cannot stay fit.
With the Scottish giants not suffering in the midfielder’s absence this season, as the 15-cap menace has failed to feature this term, it does appear that an exit could well be in the best interests of all parties.
Amid talk that a new midfield addition could be on the way following reported interest in Tunisian star Aissa Laidouni, Ideguchi’s chances of featuring are only set to become even slimmer, with it seemingly an ideal time to get his £6k-per-week salary off the wage bill.
Postecoglou may have got little wrong in his tenure thus far, although the 57-year-old will have to admit that signing the former Gamba Osaka man has been one of his most notable blunders.