The summer transfer window is in full swing and Celtic have just under one month left to complete any remaining business that they would like to do.
Who has left Celtic this summer?
Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers was hit with a blow last month as Portuguese winger Jota completed a £25m transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.
Reserve players Osaze Urhoghide, Conor Hazard, and Vasilios Barkas have also departed on a permanent basis, whilst central midfielder Aaron Mooy retired after one season in Scotland.
Another player who could be on his way out of the club before the window slams shut is central defender Liam Scales, who has been with the first-team squad in pre-season, and he could be instantly replaced by Celtic signing Xavier Mbuyamba.
The Daily Record recently reported that Aberdeen are interested in signing the Irish enforcer following his spell on loan with the club during the 2022/23 campaign.
They were prepared to sign the 24-year-old ace at the end of last term but were not able to match Celtic's valuation, which has led to a second loan deal being the most likely option at this stage. Although, the outlet stated that no final decision has been made by the Scottish Premiership champions.
His exit, particularly if Carl Starfelt also departs amid interest from Spartak Moscow, would open a space in the squad for another centre-back to come in and Mbuyamba could be an excellent addition to the side.
How good is Xavier Mbuyamba?
The towering 6 foot 5 defender, who is also reportedly a €2.5m (£2.1m) target for Sampdoria, has been linked with a move to Parkhead this summer after an impressive year in the Netherlands with FC Volendam.
His Eredivisie performances suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on Scales for the Hoops in order to provide competition for the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki for Rodgers.
Mbuyamba, who was once dubbed "elegant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, made 28 league appearances last season and caught the eye with his defensive quality at the back.
He averaged an outstanding 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, which is more than any current Celtic central defender managed throughout the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership campaign.
Scales, meanwhile, made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match for Aberdeen during his loan spell, which suggests that the Dutch titan could increase the Hoops' domination in matches by regaining possession more frequently than the ex-Shamrock Rovers star.
The Volendam colossus also averaged more clearances (5.4) and ground duels won (2.8) than Scales did for the Dons (5.1 and 2.4).
These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old, who is three years younger than the current Bhoys defender and has more time on his hands to develop, could provide more defensive solidity due to his ability to intercept opposition attacks and clear danger.
Mbuyamba could also provide Rodgers with more of a threat at the other end of the pitch.
The former Chelsea prodigy scored five goals from centre-back last season for Volendam, which is two more than any of Celtic's players in that position last season and four more than Scales.
This means that he could improve the club's output from set-pieces due to his knack for getting on the end of crosses, using his staggering height, to nod in goals.
Therefore, the ex-Barcelona giant could be an instant and exceptional replacement for Scales if the Irish battler returns to Aberdeen for a second spell, due to his age, defensive ability, and goalscoring potential.
