Ange Postecoglou has moved quickly in past transfer windows and this one was no different with the Celtic boss getting the majority of his business done nice and early with four new additions.
Alistair Johnston and Yuki Kobayashi arrived before Tomoki Iwata and most recent recruit Oh Hyeon-gyu joined the party. The 57-year-old has always been alert in the market and will never rule out any further additions, but Deadline Day at the Scottish champions is most likely to involve outgoings rather than incomings.
The big one is of course Giorgos Giakoumakis. His future has been a talking point throughout the window and after being left out of late, his fate could be about to be decided. It is reported by the Daily Record the Greek hitman - who arrived at Parkhead 18 months ago from VVV-Venlo - is only awaiting the green light on a US work visa to complete his £4million transfer to Atlanta United. The 28-year-old has mainly had to play second fiddle to Kyogo Furuhashi during his time in Scotland.
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He's not the only one reported to be heading for pastures new with fringe duo Stephen Welsh and Conor Hazard linked with exits. Welsh is down the pecking order in the defensive ranks with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt the first choice duo. Kobayashi is now in the door and looked very composed in his first two outings for Postecoglou leaving Welsh further behind in the selection process. The Scotsman have claimed English League One high-flyers Sheffield Wednesday are keen on his services.
Hazard - fresh off a year long loan in Finland with HJK Helsinki - could be on the move again. He had a stunning season that including Europa League experience and league title triumph. He was also voted Player of the Year. Under contract until 2024, the stopper could make another temporary exit with the Daily Record reporting that Ross County want to seal a loan deal.
Other fringe men like James McCarthy, Yosuke Ideguchi and Oliver Abildgaard are well out of the first team picture and Postecoglou is in dialogue over their futures with the clock ticking at rapid pace towards the midnight deadline.
He said: “For the guys who are not getting opportunities it really comes down to them and seeing what the best options are. I’m in dialogue with those guys. It’s not about forcing people out but there is a realism in terms of how much opportunity you get to play. If you mention those three guys they are at an age where the less football they play the fewer options they will have.
"They have to assess what's best for their careers. As I said I'm in dialogue with them and we will see what happens in the last days of the window. If nothing happens then they are still part of our group and we will work with them accordingly. There are still five days to go and we are always alert. If anything comes up we will see what happens."
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