RONNY DEILA is about to move to Stage Two in his rebuilding of Celtic.

 

The Norwegian is approaching the end of his first season in charge, which looks like yielding a League Cup and League Championship double.

But the Treble will again be Deila's target next term - along with a place in the Group Stage of the Champions League where he really wants to test himself and the squad he is assembling.

The changes he has orchestrated since arriving at Parkhead in June last year have laid the foundations for this push to a higher level.

But when the season ends and the transfer window re-opens, more changes will be made.

With Jason Denayer and John Guidetti among those coming to the end of their loan deals, and support acts including Lukasz Zaluska coming to the end of their contracts, Deila hopes business can be done quickly.

Talks with chief executive Peter Lawwell and major shareholder Dermot Desmond over what happens next have already begun.

Deila is comfortable with the situation, and much more prepared and better placed to make significant signings than he was when he first arrived at the club last summer when he elected to follow the loan route to rebuilding.

The manager confirmed: "We have money, but we must use it to invest in players that we can improve a lot and sell on."

That rules out the likes of 32-year-old Rafael van der Vaart, the Dutch midfielder who has been linked with a move to the Hoops when his contract at Hamburg runs out at the end of the season.

Deila is looking for more players in the Nir Bitton, Stefan Johansen, Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven mould and age range.

The club are already ready to deal 24-year-old Player of the Year Johansen in on a longer deal.

And Bitton is another who, having taken time to settle, is now doing enough to encourage the club to consider tying him down for longer.

Deila said of the 23-year-old Israeli international, who is attracting interest from England: "He is a player we want to keep here."

Reducing the size of the squad, but increasing the quality within it is the over-riding ambition for this window.

But Deila wants to ensure there is still room for young players to develop and progress.

That includes Liam Henderson, who has been sent to Rosenborg to get the game time he is being denied here.

He came off the bench to score twice at the weekend, a game watched closely by Deila.

The Hoops boss is aware Rosenborg are already keen to extend Henderson's loan deal beyond the summer, and said: "That's something we will have to discuss.

"I was very happy when I watched Rosenborg's match on Saturday.

"Liam made a good contribution when he came on.

"I can see he is happy there, and Rosenborg are very happy with him.

"That's the best situation for everyone.

"He will develop there, and we will see in the summer what we will do.

"We will be getting a better player back when he does return, and that's what we want."