CELTIC are preparing to axe around £10million worth of misfits as ruthless Ronny Deila plans a clear-out.
Poised to get the boot from the Hoops boss are:
TEEMU PUKKI, who cost £2.8million when he joined from Schalke in 2013, is heading for the exit and is currently on loan at Brondy after failing to impress the Norwegian.
AMIDO BALDE, a £1.8million buy from Portuguese outfit Guimareas, was loaned to Belgian side Waasland-Bevern in the summer, but the striker has now moved to Isreali team Hapoel Tel Aviv for the remainder of the campaign.
BERAM KAYAL, who was valued at £2.2million when he arrived from Maccabi Haifa in 2010, is out of contract in the summer and wants to quit the SPFL champions. His former club are interested in taking the 26-year-old back to Israel, but they may prefer to wait and get him for free in June.
DERK BOERRIGTER, bought for £3million from Ajax last summer, has been hampered by injuries, but the winger has already been labelled a Dutch dud after underwhelming rare first team appearances.
Pukki and Balde have two years to run on their contracts at Parkhead while Boerrigter has a further year.
Finnish flop Pukki, 24, will be offloaded for only £1million, but Brondby are not keen at that price.
Twenty-three year old Balde, too, will be sold for a cut-price fee to jettison him from the Hoops.
Deila said: “I want a smaller squad. We have too many players and it’s much better to have 20-22 players of a good level and then fill it with youngsters, instead of having 28 or 29 players. “You can have experienced players who are always disappointed.
“But it also costs a lot of money having big squads.
“We have contracts with players and if opportunities come, and it’s right for them and right for us, then things can happen.”
There appears no way back for misfiring marksmen Pukki and Balde and the Celtic gaffer added: “Something has to happen for them.”
Boerrigter, who has struggled with injuries since his move from the Amsterdam giants 18 months ago, is ready to resume training.
The 28-year-old has made just three appearances this term – the last in August against Maribor – but he is set to return following knee surgery.
Deila said: “He will restart training on Thursday. He has a lot to prove to me.
“If he shows in training he’s good enough, then we’ll see.”
Midfielder Kayal has also been urged to prove his worth. Deila said: “Right now he’s not playing. He has to get his fitness up and show us performances.
“Then we’ll see what’s happening. It’s about performances. If they come, then anything is possible.”
Virgil Van Dijk is likely to remain at the club until the end of the season despite reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland.
The impressive Dutch central defender, 23, bought for £2.4million from Groningen in the summer of 2013, will move on at the end of the season – if the price is right.
Celtic are looking for at least £10million for Van Dijk and that asking price could be met by a Premier league outfit in five months’ time.
The wind of change around Parkhead is about to become a hurricane.
