Murdo MacLeod reckons Eddie Howe could already be picking out his Celtic transfer targets.
The Parkhead hero expects - if a deal is on the way - the manager will already be well clued up on potential comings and goings this summer.
Howe remains Celtic's top target to replace Neil Lennon but there's been no official appointment as yet.
The former Bournemouth manager would face a daunting summer overhaul and for that reason MacLeod believes he may already be getting ahead of the game.
He told the Celtic Huddle podcast: “I’ve felt with Eddie, if he’s been tied up with Celtic for the last six or seven weeks, then he’s been using his knowledge in England to pick out players who are going to be available to Celtic.
“Because obviously, so many people will be saying to the new manager before he even comes to Celtic ‘this one’s not going to be here and this one’s not going to be here. This one’s going, we’ll get money for them but you’ve got to go and get a new centre-back. You’ve got to get a new centre-forward. You’ve got to bring in better quality than we’ve got just now’.
“So everybody will be giving the new manager some details on who to get rid of and keep.”
Meanwhile, interim boss John Kennedy has laughed off Conor McGregor' s claim he's held talks to buy Celtic shares from Dermot Desmond.
The UFC superstar has insisted he could do "big things" for a football club but a smiling Kennedy brushed it aside on Tuesday.
"I think last week he was at Man United, as well," he said ahead of Celtic's Premiership clash with St Johnstone on Wednesday.
"It looks like he's trying to get his teeth into football somehow.
"But I don't think there's anything in that at all."
