Celtic have endured a relatively busy summer transfer window so far since the market opened for business last month as Brendan Rodgers has made three additions to the team.
Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, and Odin Thiago Holm have all arrived on permanent deals to bolster the side, whilst Jota has completed a move to Al Ittihad for a reported fee of £25m.
The Northern Irish tactician has revealed that he is looking to move on the fringe players from the squad and that honest conversations will be had with those who are not part of his plans for the upcoming season.
What is the latest transfer news at Celtic?
One dud who could be on the chopping block is central midfielder Ismaila Soro.
His contract at Parkhead does not expire until the end of the 2023/24 campaign but he spent last term on loan with Arouca in Portugal.
It was reported earlier this month that the 25-year-old outcast rejected an opportunity to sign for Panathinaikos in Greece, which suggests that the Hoops were willing to sanction the move before the player turned it down.
Rodgers could now help to finally push Soro out of the door by signing reported £13m transfer target Fabian Rieder to send him further down the pecking order, which could convince the Ivorian enforcer to take his next chance to depart.
How good is Fabian Rieder?
The 21-year-old maestro's form for Swiss outfit Young Boys last season suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic addition to the squad.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.17 across 33 Super League appearances, which would have placed him seventh within the Hoops team, and caught the eye with his contributions at both ends of the pitch.
Defensively, the left-footed dynamo showcased his ability to win possession back for the team on a regular basis. Rieder made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game, which is 0.9 more than any Celtic midfielder managed in the Scottish Premiership – with Matt O'Riley and Callum McGregor's 2.2 per clash leading the way in that regard.
This could be useful in European matches where the Hoops may not be able to dominate and could, instead, need to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis.
The Switzerland international is also capable of making a big impact at the top end of the pitch with his impressive quality on the ball. He produced seven goals to go along with 1.8 key passes per match in his country's top-flight last season.
Rieder, who transfer insider Dean Jones once claimed has "unbelievable" ability, created 1.8 chances per clash and racked up seven assists during the 2021/22 Super League campaign, which shows that his form last term was not a flash in the pan.
Meanwhile, only O'Riley (2.1) created more opportunities per game within Celtic's current stable of midfielders than the Swiss whiz, whilst no player in that position was able to find the back of the net more than six times.
Whereas, the Ivory Coast dud made one tackle and interception combined and 0.4 key passes per outing for the Scottish giants across eight Premiership matches during the 2021/22 season, which earned him a Sofascore rating of 6.59.
Rieder could, therefore, provide a big boost to Rodgers' current options in the engine room when it comes to making things happen in attack, given his immense ability to score and create goals, whilst pushing Soro out of the door in the process.