Maeda tease from Celtic plus the big cost of out of favour players | OneFootball

The transfer window for Celtic opens on Monday 16 June and will run until 1st September. So it will be a couple of weeks at least until we are likely to hear of any incomings as we look to defend the league title and continue our European progression under Brendan Rodgers.

Kieran Tierney of Celtic takes a selfie with the Celtic fans during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Heart of Midlothian FC at Celtic Park on May 19, 2019. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

We do know pre-contracts have been agreed with the returning Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan from Arsenal and Aberdeen respectively, so the first announcements we can expect will be both of those at the end of June.

Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan during the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Aberdeen at Tynecastle Park on 1 December 2024. Photo:Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

At present it is likely Celtic will be using this time to sort out the contractual situation for both the manager and Daizen Maeda, as the thought of either of those key roles not being sorted out quickly simply doesn’t bear thinking about, but there is also a lot of work to be done in moving on players who are simply not in the manager’s circle of trust.

Celtic teasing support on some good news regarding Daizen Maeda?

Daizen Maeda poses with his Scottish Premiership winners medal after the season s final league match against St. Mirren on May 17, 2025. Photo IMAGO

At present the Celtic manager uses – and therefore you assume trusts – only a small number of players. With two years as a Celtic boss under his belt this time around, it’s safe to assume if you are at the club and haven’t featured much over the last two campaigns or have gone out on loan, chances you are you are not likely to be in the managers thoughts for next season.

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive of Celtic FC looks on from the stands prior to the Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Michael Nicholson will be acutely aware that Brendan Rodgers will wish to add to his squad this summer, and given the Celtic boss intimated that even if no-one left the club over the summer he would still wish to have three new faces in the door to keep his squad on their toes, and at the very least lift the floor, the Celtic CEO will have to push a few through the exit door to ensure the squad is not bloated next season and there is room for new arrivals.

Scott Bain has already been released, with Falkirk being the destination for him, and Ross Doohan makes sense as a replacement third choice ‘keeper.

A wave from Greg Taylor ahead of the Scottish Cup Final on 24 May, Aberdeen v Celtic Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Greg Taylor seems to have signed off with his ‘Lived it, Loved it’ Insta post on flag-day meanwhile his left back job-share, Jeffrey Schlupp was on a six-month loan deal from Crystal Palace. And given his age and average at best contribution to Celtic this season it is likely we have seen the last of him, although there were some murmurings of a permanent switch now his contract has expired with the South London club.

There are two left backs out on loan now –Matthew Anderson at Admira Wacker in Austria and Adam Montgomery at Queen’s Park. Anderson may still have a shot at a covering role for Kieren Tierney when he arrives, but Montgomery must now expect to be moved on.

FC Twente defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, during the match Twente – Bodo Glimt at the Grolsch Veste, FC Twente Stadion for the UEFA Europa League – Knockout phase play-offs – 1st leg season 2024-2025 in ENSCHEDE, Netherlands on 13 februari 2025, photo by Stefan Koops / EYE4images/DeFodi Images

Central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke has been on loan in the Netherlands with FC Twente. His lack of recovery pace is an issue for the manager’s high defensive line, and he has no long-term future at the club.

After an underwhelming start it seemed Lagerbielke was winning over the fans at Twente, but a drop off in form in the latter part of the season may leave the club unsure of a permanent switch and as such Nicholson may have to get creative with another loan or cut our losses and accept a cut-price deal elsewhere.

14th May 2025; Pittodrie Scottish Premiership Aberdeen versus Celtic; Maik Nawrocki of Celtic and Pape Habib Gueye of Aberdeen challenge for the ball. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Maik Nawrocki is another who has had two years to impress his manager but hasn’t appeared to have convinced Rodgers of his worth, indeed had young Dane Murray not succumbed to injury towards the end of the season then it’s unlikely Nawrocki would even have got the minutes he did towards the end of the season. Meanwhile Stephen Welsh is now over 25, has been on loan at Mechelen in Belgium this season and must be considered surplus to requirements now.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, shakes hands with Odin Thiago Holm of Celtic after the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Celtic FC at Ibrox on September 03, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

In midfield Odin Holm has a loan deal with Los Angeles FC which may see him involved in the upcoming World Club Cup. With his deal in the MLS running until the end of the year Michael Nicholson will be glad that can has been kicked down the road for the time being. Although the same cannot be said for Hyeokku Kwon, who after a bright start to a season long loan at Hibs soon found himself as a squad player at best just as Hibs disastrous start to the season turned around massively.

Luis Palma signs for Olympiacos. Photo Olympiacos FC

We can also expect to say goodbye at some stage to both Luis Palma and Marco Tllio who have been on loan at Olympiakos and Melbourne City. Both have played and contributed to their respective loan clubs but neither it would appear have a future at Celtic. Further loan deals may be possible, but you would imagine Celtic would prefer to move both on permanently.

If Celtic do manage to move on most of these players and replace with a handful of new signings, Rodgers may be about to have both a lean squad and one with the quality in depth he craves. Indeed, the sale of these players would leave Celtic with a significantly reduced wage bill and therefore scope for new arrivals.

Celtic 2025 Wages | Player & Team totals

At present Greg Taylor earns a reported £15k per week, Maik Nawrocki (£12k), Gustav Lagerbielke (£14k ) Stephen Welsh (£8k) Adam Montgomery (£4.5k) and Jeffrey Schlupp (£30k).

Luis Palma pockets a reported £16k per week and Mark Tillio (£4.5k) meanwhile Kwon incredibly earns a weekly wage of £9k per week.

Jeffrey Schlupp. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Even excluding the loan wage for Jeffrey Schlupp, assuming all of that and a little extra will be lining Kieran Tierney’s pockets, there is more than £80,000 per week in wages going to players the Celtic manager has deemed, to date at least, not part of his footballing vision for Celtic.

With the Celtic boss looking for three additions, assuming there are no exits, that is more than enough to allow for the manager to lift the quality levels in the squad without necessarily increasing the wage bill significantly.

So, while the transfer window allows for the fans and the manager to dream of shiny new arrivals, for Michael Nicholson the exit door may be just as, if not more, important than the entrance.

Niall J

Help raise funds for Celtic Youth Academy by playing the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and you could win up to £25,000. The lottery is £1 per week. Click on image above to join.

More Stories / Latest News

Maeda tease from Celtic plus the big cost of out of favour players

Jun 3 2025, 17:20

Fabrizio Romano drops underwhelming update, Baby Rodge returns

Jun 3 2025, 15:57

Heroes and vigilantes…Johnstone No.1 CSC is 80 years young

Jun 3 2025, 14:29