HOOPS EXODUS: SIX DOWN AND ONE TO GO

CELTIC have offloaded six players in four months with the news Olivier Ntcham has left the club.

The Frenchman clearly wasn’t happy at Parkhead and it was best all round that the 25-year-old midfielder who cost £4.5million when he joined from Manchester City in July 2017 said au revoir.

Ntcham, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille who decided against making the move permanent, will now look for a club elsewhere.

DOWN AND OUT…Olivier Ntcham flat on his back after missing a sitter.

Polish flop striker Patryk Klimala, bought for £3.5million in January 2020, was the first of the exodus when he agreed a switch to MLS outfit New York Red Bulls in April with the Hoops recouping their initial outlay. He netted only three goals for the club.

Scotland international centre-back Jack Hendry, after a season-long loan at KV Oostende, cemented the move to the Belgians last month in a £1.75million deal.

Ivorian frontman Vakkoun Issouf Bayo, with only two goals against Partick Thistle and Clyde to his name, quickly followed him to Belgium with a £1.5million transfer to KAA Gent. He spent last season on loan with French second tier outfit Toulouse.

UP FOR THE CUP…Kristoffer Ajer fires in the Scottish Cup-winning penalty-kick against Hearts in December last year.

Kristoffer Ajer said farewell in a £13.5million switch to Premier League new boys Brentford on July 21 and three days later the club confirmed Ukrainian winger Marian Shved had agreed a three-year contract with KV Mechelen where he impressed on loan last term. The deal was worth something in the region of £500,000 to the club after his initial £2million arrival in January 2019.

Now Ntcham has made his anticipated move from Parkhead after fading too fast from the first-team picture.

That leaves Boli Bolingoli. Ange Postecoglou included the blundering Belgian, a £3million signing by Neil Lennon from Vienna Rapid in the summer of 2019, in his pre-season squad for Wales, but it is clear he has no future at Celtic.

The window closes at 11pm on August 31. There is every chance the left-back will have found new employers before then.