Celtic had a rather successful season last time out as Ange Postecoglou saw his team secure the Premiership title at the end of his debut campaign in charge of the Hoops.

Across their 38 league games, the Bhoys ended up winning 29, drawing six and losing just three, scoring more goals (92) and conceding fewer (22) than any other team in the division.

However, one man in Postecoglou's squad who was in and out of the team throughout the campaign and who the Hoops should consider getting rid of this summer is Stephen Welsh.

With just 10 league appearances to his name last season, the £3.6k-per-week centre-back started nine times, the majority of which came between August and December.

Having recently been linked with a move to French club Toulouse, this could be Celtic's opportunity to move the defender out of Parkhead and bring in a new figure who could be a suitable replacement for him.

One player with whom the club have been linked and who could fit the bill is Schalke 04 defender Malick Thiaw.

With 31 league appearances to his name in Germany's second tier last season, the 20-year-old ended up making more interceptions (55) and winning more tackles (45) than any other player at the club, which highlights his clear defensive credentials.

This also backs up why his former manager Christian Gross once said that the young defender has "great potential" in him, which was clearly on show last term.

Despite making 15 interceptions in the league for the Hoops in 2021/22, Welsh only won three tackles, which is fewer than the likes of Boli Bolingoli and Adam Montgomery.

Even though the Hoops have recently brought in another young German centre-back in the shape of Moritz Jenz, Thiaw has still proven he could be a very good asset for Celtic, especially if Welsh ends up leaving.

Should Postecoglou give the green light for the 22-year-old to join another club this summer, either on loan or on a permanent basis, the Scottish champions should definitely consider paying the €8m (£6.8m) that it would reportedly take to sign the Schalke starlet.

Having already spent money on the likes of Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alexandro Bernabei, it will be interesting to see whether the club could be persuaded to get the chequebook out once again before the transfer window closes.

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