Celtic might have a lack of options at the back right now due to injury problems, but when everybody is fit and available, the Hoops are stacked in that area of the pitch as well. At centre-back, they have the established duo of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt. Maik Nawrocki will surely be looking to make his mark after arriving as well. The likes of Yuki Kobayashi and Stephen Welsh are still there too.
On the other hand, at left-back, they have Greg Taylor, who has been one of Celtic’s best performers in recent times. And there are high hopes that Alexandro Bernabei will improve under the management of Brendan Rodgers, after a difficult debut campaign in Europe.
Amidst all this, it is hard to see Liam Scales getting many opportunities, even though he has impressed in pre-season. Thus, could a move away be the best option for the Irishman?
Scales spent the previous season on loan at Aberdeen and impressed. And it is unsurprising that he has been linked with a return this summer.
Celtic player tipped to join Premiership rivals this summer
As reported by Football Insider, Alan Hutton said about the situation of Scales. when asked if he is one of the players Rodgers would be open to letting go:
"“I think if they have got someone else lined up to come in, which I imagine Brendan Rodgers would, then I think there is an opportunity for him to go and get regular football.“Is he going to get that at Celtic at this moment in time? I do not think so.“He did well out on loan last season. He has come in and been involved in pre-season but ultimately you want to play week in week out, you do not want to got through all the hard work to be on the bench or not even make the squad at all.“There is a lot of talent there but you need to go out and prove it to everybody. I think that would be a good move. Aberdeen are a strong team that are always challenging for third place so it is something he would probably enjoy.“"
Scales has already proven himself at the Premiership level, establishing himself as a starter while on loan at Aberdeen last season. And as a result, it might not be the right step for Celtic to let him leave permanently this summer.
At the end of the day, there are some question marks over the Celtic defence right now, even though there is not a lack of options at the back for them. Thus, having a reliable player like Scales around might not be a bad idea. He is good enough for a squad role.