Just 11 days remain for managers in the Scottish Premiership to do their final bit of wheeling and dealing before January. It's a well-known observation that managers hate doing business in the winter window, with most signings either a stop-gap solution or a desperate bid to turn things around. So what must the current crop of Premiership bosses do to avoid such signings in the future?
Where are the glaring gaps in the squad? Who needs to cut adrift some deadwood? And who needs to keep their star player up under lock and key?
With 13 players already through the entrance and 14 through the exit, it's been a busy old summer at Pittodrie. Seemingly, head coach Stephen Robinson has opted to start from scratch when moulding his new squad but there's still a few blank spots on an increasingly busy picture. While fans may be keen for some energy in midfield and perhaps another winger, Robinson has stated publicly that he still has too many players at his disposal.
With a squad size of 28, the third biggest in the league, it is more likely the head coach will be flaunting his wares at the market, rather than adding to his squad. While Martin O'Neill's starting XI looks fairly settled thanks to Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran hitting the ground running, the bench at Celtic Park still looks fairly sparse. That won't be helped by the expected exit of midfielder Reo Hatate and the injury to right-back Alistair Johnston who, according to reports, is facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
After the £22m fee received for Arne Engels, there might be more money to strengthen the back-up brigade. Viljami Sinisalo could do with some more competition in the sticks and, while youngster Colby Donovan has impressed so far, perhaps another right-back is needed for the Champions League. Most important is finding a suitable back-up for Kieran Tierney.
O'Neill has previously stated that the 29-year-old's minutes need managed but he is the only senior left-back on the books. With just 22 first-team players at his disposal - and one of them now injured for the season in Simon Murray - Steven Pressley has the smallest squad in the league. He has just five defenders, plus Drey Wright, who could probably play across the back-four if needed.
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