Following their surprise exit from Europe, Celtic will now have to reassess their squad and ensure there's no more backlash from that unfortunate turn of events. Of course, losing some of their star players would be the obvious risk now and it will be up to Neil Lennon to either secure alternatives or convince them to stay.

Odsonne Edouard is definitely one of those players who might be rethinking their future now. Of course, the young forward didn't even participate in the European clash and it may or may not have impacted the final result for the Hoops.

And even though they are still confident of ensuring he stays put in the Scottish Premier League, Celtic are still working on a plan B in case the worst happens. According to the latest report from Sky Sports, the Bhoys have identified Atletico Madrid's Ivan Saponjic as a potential replacement for Edouard.

The 23-year-old La Liga striker is well down the pecking order in the Spanish capital, having both Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa in front of him, and could indeed be an attainable target.

His quality could come in question, however, but he was always a hot prospect back in Serbia, especially when he shined during his country's U20 World Cup triumph in 2015.

Edouard, on the other hand, bagged 21 goals in 27 matches for Celtic in the Scottish top-flight last campaign and would definitely be a tough man to replace.

Verdict

At the moment, it is safe to say that Celtic would rather keep Edouard than cash in and look for alternatives. But the reality is that the young forward is a wanted man already and could very well be snatched away sooner rather than later.

With kids of his talent and potential, it feels more like a matter of when rather than if. So maybe a deal for Saponjic could actually make sense after all.