Nicolas Kuhn is heading for the exit door at Parkhead.
The Celtic winger has agreed a €20m switch to ambitious Serie A side Como and is set to sign a four-year contract with the club.
Former Barcelona and Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas manages Como and he was a huge factor in Kuhn’s decision to move to Italy.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed Kuhn’s exit after Celtic beat Queen’s Park 1-0 in a friendly, with the Hoops set to make a profit of nearly £14.5m on the player.
Sutton on Rodgers having a Celtic plan post-Kuhn
Chris Sutton is impressed Celtic managed to negotiate such a fee, but has warned Kuhn’s sale could have Champions League play-off implications.
And the Daily Record columnist cannot believe for one second that Rodgers does not have a solution to Kuhn leaving the club this summer.
Sutton wrote: “Nicolas Kuhn out of the door for a fortune. That looks like an outstanding piece of financial business again by Celtic. Hands up, I didn’t think Celtic would get such an impressive fee for the winger.
“But, whatever the reasoning, I’d say the German leaving at this precise moment represents a risk and it’s now down to Celtic to disprove that notion.
“If Kuhn’s exit doesn’t damage the route back to the section-phase of the elite tournament (Champions League), fine, then I’ll start dishing out the plaudits.
“On the face of it, based on the figures, it’s another wonderful example of the Celtic transfer model working a dream.
“However, the profit is a drop in the ocean to the riches available at Europe’s highest level and, if this move backfires, the club will cop it.
“I have to say, I cannot believe for a solitary second that Brendan Rodgers isn’t convinced he’ll be replaced properly and in timely fashion.
“The Celtic manager couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for getting back into the top-level of Europe last season and making progress and the motivation of potentially taking that further.
“Rodgers won’t be allowing that quest to be damaged, so you’d have to think succession plans are in place.”
Celtic’s winger options after Kuhn leaves
Sutton won’t pass judgement on the sale of Kuhn after Celtic’s outcome in the crucial Champions League play-off round next month.
With Kuhn’s exit, Celtic now have seven wingers at their disposal. Luis Palma and Marco Tilio are included in that number, but they don’t have futures in Glasgow.
That leaves five, or should we say four given Jota’s nightmare injury which will see him sidelined for a large chunk of the new season?
James Forrest and Yang Hyun-jun will be at Rodgers’ disposal, while Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren make up the wide men in the squad.
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