Alex Valle ‘still very much’ a Celtic player amid ‘moving parts’ – Brendan Rodgers

Taylor’s future is also in the balance as he too is out of contract this summer, while reports in Spain have claimed that Serie A club Como are interested in taking Valle on loan should his time in Glasgow be cut short this month.

“He’s loved his time here,” Rodgers said of Valle. “He’s become a Champions League player coming to Celtic and he’s in no rush to leave.

“However, if something was to change on that front, where he may not be getting the game time, then I have to be open and honest with him to let him understand this, but he knows absolutely the picture here.”

Champions League squads cannot be changed until the league stage ends as Celtic prepare to face Young Boys on Wednesday and Aston Villa on 29 January – five days before the window closes on 3 February.

“Obviously, the window is open for a little bit longer than the end of January,” Rodgers said. “So that always gives time.”

The Celtic manager stressed “there’s absolutely no way” he would leave himself short of options at left-back and remains “fairly confident” he will add to his squad.

Rodgers added that he thought the extension of European league stage games beyond Christmas had resulted in a general slowness in the transfer market at the top level and stressed “you just have to be patient”.