Celtic hit Liam Scales pause button as Aberdeen forced to wait while Ange makes major transfer calls

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will make Aberdeen sweat until the summer over the prospect of landing Liam Scales on a permanent deal.

The Dons are keen on snapping up the borrowed Parkhead defender after an impressive campaign on loan at Pittodrie. But Postecoglou has yet to decide on the Irishman’s fate – along with a raft of players who are due to return to the Hoops at the end of term. Keeper Vasilis Barkas, Albian Ajeti, Mikey Johnston, Adam Montgomery, Ismaila Soro, Yosuke Ideguchi, Johnny Kenny, Liam Shaw and Osaze Orhoghide are all under contract at Parkhead until at least 2024 and will check back in following spells away from the club.

Postecoglou is focused on the champions using the remaining three Premiership matches to prepare for the Scottish Cup Final against Inverness Caley Thistle on June 3 as he looks to complete a domestic clean sweep. But he insisted he won’t hang about in making calls about the loan stars when the campaign comes to a close.

Postecoglou said: “We’ll wait until the summer. It’s good to see Liam doing so well at Aberdeen. When you put guys out on loan you hope they get good experience and make an impact. Liam has done that and I know Barry Robson and the club have been really happy with hm.

“But those decisions will be made at the end of the year. We’ll see what’s best for him and the club. The guys will all need some sort of clarity moving forward. We will look at them all on an individual basis. We’ll get to that when the time is right.”

Postecoglou is looking to make room in his squad for new additions and the majority of the loan players could be allowed to go. The Hoops boss has also warned big money bids could come in for his star men – but he’s already plotting in the