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The transfer window departures

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As the clock races towards Thursday the boredom of international football will be broken by transfer rumours and speculation.

Bringing in Patrick Roberts will overshadow everything at Celtic over the coming days but there has been a fairly brisk stream of players moving out this summer, mainly on loan.

Half a dozen more could be on the move this week as Brendan Rodgers concentrates his energies on working with a manageable squad supplemented by the younger players that he is looking to push into the top team squad.

With Kris Commons and Efe Ambrose leaving at the end of last season followed by Logan Bailly, Saidy Janko and Emilio Izaguirre there has already been significant movement in the squad.

Every manager inherits players that he won’t be needing but it’s an important part of the job coaxing those players along, getting a tune from them before hopefully offloading them elsewhere.

As the activity to bring in new players intensifies under the radar a number of players will be slipping out of Celtic Park as we wait to find out the shape of the squad on Friday morning.

CRISTIAN GAMBOA

The Costa Rican internationalist hasn’t played in any competitive game and is certain to move on this week.

He provided great back-up to Mikael Lustig after arriving from West Brom a year ago but Brendan Rodgers has opted to develop Anthony Ralston this term.

Costa Rica are looking very likely to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Russia with Gamboa needing first team football to stay involved.

JAMIE MCCART

After being out on loan at Inverness Caley Thistle in the second half of last season he’d have hoped to have been involved in Rodgers’ squad but despite multiple injuries in his position he hasn’t had a look in at the first team.

With a new defender likely to be brought in after interest in Rivaldo Coetzee fell through a move to the lower divisions in England, similar to Eoghan O’Connell last season, would be in his best interests.

He showed at Inverness Caley Thistle that it’ll only be first team football that will develop his game.

KRISTOFFER AJER

This will be a very tough decision for Rodgers to take but overall sending the young Norwegian out on loan is probably in his long term interests.

After arriving as a midfielder from IK Start he has only had one season as a central defender and just over a dozen top team appearances, at Kilmarnock, in the position.

He might get a dozen games this season at Celtic but 30 plus matches in the English Championship or League One will leave him much better prepared to make the big breakthrough at Celtic.

AIDAN NESBITT

His development has stalled somewhat over the last 18 months but in a couple of appearances for the Development League side he has shown all the skill in the world.

As a winger you are instantly challenged- if you don’t beat your man straight away your contribution is questioned.

He had a good run at Morton last season, I thought that Hibs would be the ideal loan for him this season but Neil Lennon’s squad already seems well off for attacking options. Fingers crossed that he gets the chance to showcase his ability.

LIAM HENDERSON

With his contract up at the end of this season he is in a Catch 22 situation.

Perhaps signing a 12 month extension will let him go out on loan and allow the player and club to assess things at the end of this season. If John McGinn leaves Hibs a return to Easter Road for Hendo looks likely.

He’ll be looking at what Ryan Christie is doing at Aberdeen and know that he has to match that impact for his own career which hopefully can develop at Celtic.

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