Sead Haksabanovic has left Celtic to join Malmo this window, bringing the curtain down his two years at Parkhead.
The Montenegro international featured prominently under Ange Postecoglou before falling out of favour under Brendan Rodgers, registering five goals and four assists in 42 appearances, per Transfermarkt.
Haksabanovic took to social media early last campaign, questioning his value to the club ahead of spending 2023/24 on loan at Stoke City, and he has now departed permanently for Malmo, where he could make his debut next month against Halmstads in the Allsvenskan [BBC Sport].
Despite his exit becoming an inevitability, there is a wider priority at play as Celtic manager Rodgers looks to trim his squad appropriately ahead of the new term.
What Brendan Rodgers said about trimming the Celtic squad
Rodgers has made no secret of the fact he has been keen to trim his squad following a period in the first half of last campaign that saw a bloated group present at Lennoxtown.
He has previously referenced his ideal pool size, stating back in December 2023: “Ideally, we’d have a squad of 25 players, 22 with three goalkeepers. In which case there will also be an opportunity for young players to come through as that’s always my first look.
“Throughout my career you’ll see a whole host of young players that I’ve always put in, guys who are 17, 18, 19 or 20. I’ve always looked to that enthusiasm and rawness of a player to bring in. So I’ve always looked from within. If it’s not here for whatever reason then you need to bring in from the outside.”
Taking earlier this year as an example, Yosuke Ideguchi, David Turnbull and Liel Abada left Parkhead permanently; meanwhile, several players headed out the door on loan for regular minutes elsewhere.
Hyeongyu Oh, Gustaf Lagerbielke, and Benjamin Siegrist are prime candidates to leave this summer. All three would help clear squad space, and their wage expenditure could be invested in prospective arrivals.
While awaiting new signings, the notion of players leaving the club can be slightly tedious for fans; nevertheless, offloading fringe assets is still an important endeavour.
Expect more departures this summer to pave the way for incomings. Finally, it looks like Celtic have kickstarted movement this window.