Don Hutchison believes Brendan Rodgers may be eyeing a summer clear-out at Celtic, not out of panic, but to prevent a creeping sense of complacency within the squad.

The former Scotland midfielder, speaking on the back of another domestic double for the Hoops, suggested that success often brings difficult decisions, particularly around loyalty and squad refreshment.

Rodgers himself has already indicated the need to freshen up the group ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, saying if it’s not the players that move on, it will need to be the manager.

“That’s always the dilemma [if there’s a need to freshen the squad to stop complacency stepping in], Hutchison told Gambling Zone. “I think, for a manager when you win. I always liken it to teams, when you come up from the Championship: do you stay loyal, or do you move them on? And Brendan’s probably having that exact same conversation. Right, the players that have won us a lot, do I stay loyal? Character-wise, you’ll know them inside out.

“But then you’ve got to have that foresight to think: who’s going to drop off, who might be the player that goes complacent, who might be the player that over the last couple of years or months, has been the one that’s just slacked off a little bit or who’s just picked up one or two injuries, do I try and freshen it up with younger players?

“I’m a player that’s played for 20 years in a lot of dressing rooms. And when you see a new signing coming in, it does have a bit of a weird effect in a good way. It can brighten the mood off the pitch and brighten the tempo on the pitch. When a new player comes in, he tries to impress and that alone can galvanise.

“If he plays in your position, you’re then trying to impress because you want to tell the boss that he’s not just going to come in and take your place. The competitive edge definitely goes up a yard when new players get brought in.”

Celtic are expected to be active in the market this summer, with Kieran Tierney’s return already confirmed and several areas of the squad under review. Key figures such as Greg Taylor are out of contract and expected to leave.

With a Champions League campaign on the horizon and domestic rivals also expected to strengthen, with a new manager in the dugout, the challenge for Rodgers now is to ensure Celtic don’t just stand still but evolve.

There is a feeling that there could be quite the overhaul this summer, with a few players possibly moving on. Brendan Rodgers will also need to clear out the deadwood in the squad, much of which was brought in during his first window in charge.