Ange Postecoglou has already given Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw Celtic verdicts amid exit news

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has previously spoken out on why Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide have struggled for game time since joining the club.

Liam Shaw of Celtic. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Both players arrived at Parkhead from Sheffield Wednesday over the summer, but have failed to make much of an impression on the first team picture in Glasgow, and have been limited to just 454 minutes between them.

Of the pair, Shaw has fared slightly better, recording four appearances across all competitions, but even then, the midfielder has registered just nine minutes of league action thus far.

Heading into the January transfer window, it is understood that both Shaw and Urhoghide could be allowed to leave Celtic in the coming weeks.

The former has been linked with a potential move to St Johnstone, while the latter is said to be attracting loan interest from a number of unnamed sides.

Osaze Urhoghide of Celtic. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Celtic paid out six-figure fees for the duo just a matter of months ago, but with the arrivals of Reo Hatate, Yosuki Ideguchi, and Daizen Maeda last week, the Hoops’ squad is beginning to look somewhat bloated, and Postecoglou is expected to move players out of the club before the window shuts at the end of the month.

And the Australian has previously offered an insight into his current stance on Shaw and Urhoghide, in particular.

Asked about a lack of minutes for the pair by Celtic fan media, he said in November: “It certainly hasn’t been an easy introduction for any of our players and the fact so many of them have already hit the ground running and made an impact is great and positive.

“The key to that is to keep going obviously because again we’re only in the early stages of developing this football team and our players.

“Osaze and Liam, difficult for them in the fact that sometimes when you bring in young players - they’re certainly players we brought in as development players - [it’s] much easier to bring those kinds in when the team is settled.

“But obviously we brought them in at a time where a lot of new players are in the team, the team’s finding its way. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to get a lot of game time for them but they’re working hard at training every day.”

He added: “They’re pushing themselves. I believe even though they haven’t played, they’ve improved as footballers.

“If you train every day with us, one thing I will say is you will improve.

“It’s about now getting them the right opportunity, that maybe here, that maybe a loan deal somewhere but we’ll make those decisions come January.

“We’ll sit down with the boys and see what the best way forward is.”