RONNY DEILA has warned that players will have to move out to make room for the new recruits he wants to add in the January transfer window.

 

Having had six months to asses what he has at his disposal, the Hoops boss is determined to strengthen his team - not just his squad.

But Deila accepts he can't simply oversee one-way traffic, and predicts the exit door will have to be used as much as the entry door.

Asked if the opening of the transfer window on Thursday will cause him to think as much about who is going as it will who he wants to bring in, Deila replied: "It is going to be both.

"We can't have 40 players.

"So, of course, if we get somebody in, there could be somebody going out."

Already, Jo Inge Berget has been told he will be allowed to return to Cardiff after his loan spell at Parkhead failed to see him re-ignite his career.

And the Norwegian attacker could be joined in departing the club by a few other fringe players.

Deila wants to call the shots over who departs, and is desperate not to lose any of his top performers, like the in-demand Virgil van Dijk, or striker John Guidetti, who remains in negotiations with the club to convert his loan spell to a permanent contract.

Kris Commons - who, once again, started on the bench for the weekend's goalless draw with Ross County - is free to speak to other clubs from Thursday as he enters the final few months of his contract, which remains to be renewed.

Beram Kayal is another whose current deal runs out at the end of the season and whose future is in doubt.

The 26 year-old Israeli international is battling back from injury, and has not made an appearance for over a month.

But even before being sidelined, he had not played as much as he would have liked - just 13 games - since Deila replaced Neil Lennon in the summer.

Kayal has been quoted in the press in his homeland as saying he needs to get away from Celtic to kick-start his career, and Maccabi Haifa are monitoring the situation.

But Deila has indicated he wants the midfielder to stay, and is looking forward to including him in his plans when he returns to full fitness.

"We want to keep our best players," said Deila when asked if he can understand why Kayal may feel he needs to move to get game time.

"And, when we come out of this window," Deila continued, "we want to be stronger than we are right now."

The next month will be pivotal for many players at the club, and Deila added: "Beram is another who is, hopefully, going to go back into the team next week.

"But, again, his contract is out at the end of the season. He is a good player, so we will see what is happening."

Deila is also awaiting an update on the condition of Anthony Stokes, who limped out of Saturday' game after just five minutes after suffering a calf injury.