Celtic face one of their most significant summers in recent memory, with a wholesale overhaul required both on and off the pitch at Parkhead.
The club needs to appoint a new manager, a head of football operations, a head of recruitment, and a new chairman before any serious transfer business can begin.
Kasper Schmeichel has confirmed his retirement, while Tomas Cvancara’s loan deal will not be made permanent by the club.
Short-term signings Junior Adamu, Joel Mvuka, and Benjamin Arthur are also expected to depart when their arrangements expire this summer.
Celtic are exploring the possibility of retaining Marcelo Saracchi, though no move has been made yet, and loan star Julian Araujo may be out of reach due to his Bournemouth wages and upcoming World Cup commitments.
The club must also decide whether to activate extension options for Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before the window opens in earnest.
Despite the scale of the challenge, Celtic could generate more than £60m from player sales to fund what amounts to a complete squad rebuild.
Arne Engels is expected to attract the most interest, with Nottingham Forest having already had a bid of £20m plus £5m in add-ons rejected in January, and Celtic could bank around £25m from his sale.
The 22-year-old Belgian midfielder has the power and technical ability to flourish in the Premier League, and several English clubs are expected to enter the race for his signature.
Celtic paid £11m for Engels and would stand to make a significant profit should a suitable offer arrive before the window closes.
Daizen Maeda is another player whose departure looks increasingly likely, with the attacker having had his bags packed as far back as last August before Celtic blocked a move because they could not secure a replacement striker.
His form dipped initially after that blocked move, but performances toward the end of the season were described as sensational, and the World Cup could further raise his value, with Celtic expected to bank around £15m.
Alistair Johnston represents perhaps the most painful potential departure, with the Canada international having delivered barnstorming performances after returning from injury to help Celtic win the Double.
At 27 and heading into a World Cup on home soil, Johnston is at the peak of his powers, and offers for the fullback could prove too tempting for both player and club to refuse, with a valuation of around £15m attached.
Reo Hatate looks set to leave after what was described as a low-key end to both his season and his time at Parkhead, with his inconsistency ultimately costing him the trust of the manager.
Hatate was once valued at more than £20m, but his form over the past 12 months has seen that figure drop considerably, with Celtic now expecting to receive only around £3m for the midfielder.
Paulo Bernardo became something of a mystery figure at Celtic, having become the most capped Portugal under-21 player of all time but failing to consistently dominate matches, with a valuation of around £2m placed on the former Benfica man.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha rounds out the list of potential departures after a difficult spell at Parkhead that saw him start just three matches all season, including one against junior side Auchinleck Talbot.
Celtic paid more than £5m to sign the DR Congo winger from Antwerp following a 12-month pursuit, but the club may only recover around £2m if interest from clubs who witnessed his performances in Belgium materialises.
The combined total of all six potential sales sits at approximately £63m, a figure that would provide significant funds for the rebuild but would also leave Celtic with an enormous task to find adequate replacements.
About the Author
