The recent transfer window slammed shut in Scotland last Thursday but that may not be the end of Celtic's business ahead of the final few months of the season.
Latest Celtic transfer news
Whilst the window is not open for the Hoops to bring in players to the squad, teams in other continents are not bound to the same restrictions and can swoop in for Brendan Rodgers' men.
According to Football Insider, there are currently MLS teams monitoring James Forrest's situation at Parkhead as they eye up a possible swoop for the forward.
The report claims that the Scottish winger rejected six offers to leave the club on deadline day, with most of those coming from English Championship teams, but a move to North America could still be on the cards as their window does not shut until April.
His current contract does not expire until the summer of 2025 and Rodgers must now ruthlessly ditch the club hero if any of the interested MLS sides are prepared to pay a fee for his services.
The Hoops is reportedly on £19k-per-week at Paradise and this means that he is set to cost in excess of £1m to keep for the remainder of his contract.
Therefore, Celtic could rake in a fee, for however much they demand or the MLS teams are prepared to pay, as well as saving over £1m in wages on the winger to add to the summer transfer budget.
This may not sound like a lot but you never know how important that could be if the Hoops are pursuing a big target and need to stump up funds to land a marquee addition.
Why Celtic should sanction his departure
Forrest has been a terrific servant for the Hoops throughout his career, since coming through the academy ranks, but his time at the club appears to be coming to a natural end.
The 32-year-old forward, who was hailed as a "brilliant" ambassador for the club by Rodgers, has only started two matches in the Scottish Premiership so far this season and played 15 times in total in the division this term.
Last season, the veteran winger only featured in 16 top-flight games under Ange Postecoglou and started five of those outings for the now-Tottenham Hotspur.
Appearances
31
Goals
Six
Assists
Three
Big chances created
Two
Key passes
23
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish dynamo has not provided consistent quality in the final third for the Hoops over the past 18 months, although he has produced a respectable goal tally given his lack of starts.
The bottom line is that Forrest, who has racked up 483 appearances for the club in all competitions, is not playing regular football or making a big impact on the pitch for Rodgers.
It could, therefore, make sense for him to go and enjoy the end of his career playing week-in-week-out, whether that is in the MLS or elsewhere, and Celtic could save a good chunk of money in the process.
This is why the Northern Irish boss must ruthlessly ditch the long-serving Hoops hero in what appears to be in the best interests of all involved from a footballing perspective heading into the final few months of the campaign.