Celtic are now gearing up to accept an offer for one member of their squad after it emerged that Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers was happy for them to leave.
Celtic close in on silverware
After what has been a long and at times inglorious campaign, it finally seems as though Celtic will end it by lifting the Scottish Premiership, provided that they hold their nerve through the final games of the season.
Brendan Rodgers' side lead Rangers by three points and still have to welcome their Glasgow rivals to Celtic Park, where anything but a defeat will keep the title in Celtic's hands, with wins against Kilmarnock and St. Mirren in their last two games confirming them as champions.
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They will have the chance to add another to their collection after the season too, when they once again face Rangers in a duel for the Scottish Cup, with the pair meeting in the final.
Even if they were to lose narrowly to Rangers in their next game, the title would remain in their hands courtesy of a slightly improved goal difference, though it would certainly be an uncomfortable end to the campaign were that to happen.
Scottish Premiership as it stands
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goal Difference
Points
Celtic
35
26
6
3
58
84
Rangers
35
36
3
6
53
81
But changes for the summer are already being planned after a less than vintage season, and one man may not begin the new campaign in Celtic colours.
Defender free to leave
That player comes in the form of young defender Adam Montgomery, who has seen injury ruin his season. The 21-year-old joined League One side Fleetwood Town on loan at the beginning of the season, but injuries saw him make just six appearances before the turn of the year, and he was recalled by Celtic in January.
He then joined Motherwell on loan for the remainder of the campaign, but after a bright start he again picked up an injury, this time a hamstring strain which saw him return to Celtic early. Now, he could depart permanently, with Football Insider revealing that "Celtic will listen to offers" for the defender this summer, with the 21 year-old down to the final 12 months of his contract.
"The 21-year-old doesn’t have a long-term future with the Hoops and is not part of Brendan Rodgers’s plans moving forward", it is added, meaning that the club would rather cash in than let him leave for free in a year's time.
Though clearly not favoured by Rodgers, Postecoglou offered up special praise for the youngster during his time at Celtic, dubbing him an excellent talent and hailing his "tremendous" composure.
“We knew it was going to be tough going for Monty this year. We had some challenging opponents. They were physical and we had to put in a physical battle, but you see the quality in the front third and he showed tremendous composure.
“It was a simple pass across the goal, but at the end of the game when you need to win he showed that composure. He is a very talented young player and hopefully he continues to do that.”
Given his injury problems, a fresh start could well be best for all parties, while Celtic will be hoping that any money raked in can be utilised to strengthen Rodgers' ranks ahead of the new season.
