Five Celtic forwards could find themselves at new clubs by the start of next season.
No wonder Brendan Rodgers was so delighted to hold onto Manchester City loanee Patrick Roberts.
The former Liverpool boss is clearing house at Celtic Park as he looks to make a mark in his first season with The Bhoys.
Anthony Stokes may have proved the Hibernian hero in the Scottish Cup final win over Rangers but Celtic, who loaned him out last season, appear content for him to move on. Colin Kazim-Richards, Kris Commons, Carlton Cole and Stefan Scepovic could well be joining him.
Anthony Stokes put Rangers to the sword and Celtic fans lapped it up https://t.co/vd84Q9Yqww
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 21, 2016
Stokes has been linked with a move to Rotherham after The Championship side brought in Hibs boss Alan Stubbs. The Irish striker did well for Stubbs and could be available for as little as £500,000.
Stokes has a year remaining on his Celtic contract but the club are reportedly willing to let him leave.
12-club man
Plenty of British-born players are reluctant to play football in even two different countries, let alone seven. But Kazim-Richards’ path hasn’t been like many of his peers.
The Celtic forward might be a Turkish international, but he was born and raised in London.
And the ‘Coca-Cola Kid’ – so nicknamed after being bought by Brighton using the proceeds of a fan competition run by the soft drink company, is set to move to Brazilian club Coritiba.
Colin Kazim undergoing his medical at Coritiba. He is expected to sign a contract until December 2017. pic.twitter.com/QPqBPhG6aP
— Paulo Freitas (@Cynegeticus) June 6, 2016
Kazim-Richards is still a couple of months shy of his 30th birthday, but will likely soon be able to add Brazil to a long list of countries in which he has plied his trade.
That list comprises England and Turkey, where he has turned out for multiple clubs, plus France (Toulouse), Greece (Olympiacos), The Netherlands (Feyenoord) and Scotland (Celtic). Coritiba will be his 12th club.
Having begun the 2015/16 in the Eredivisie before finishing it in the Scottish Premiership, he will hope the move to South America can help him rediscover the form that earned him 37 caps for Turkey.
His last appearance for Fatih Terim’s side came in March 2015, and he was left out of the squad that will face Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic at Euro 2016.
- Additional reporting by Tom Victor
