If Conor Hazard had any hopes of being allowed to leave the club on loan, then Ryan Mullen’s departure must surely end all hope of it.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon tweeted last week that Hazard was interesting English League One side Accrington Stanley. He believed that the Northern Ireland youngster could be available if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Parkhead.
However, any chance of him leaving must now be totally wiped out after fellow Lennoxtown goalkeeper Mullen signed on loan for Cove Rangers last week.
Mullen made his debut for the Scottish League Two side on Saturday, and he joins another Celtic goalkeeper, Ross Doohan, in being sent out on loan this summer. Doohan is currently with Ross County.
Celtic have never been a club that allows all three of their up-and-coming goalkeepers to leave in the same window. Last season, it was Mullen who was left behind whilst Hazard and Doohan were sent out temporarily.
Therefore, Hazard is almost certainly going to stay at Celtic beyond the closure of the transfer window. It’s what the club needs too considering we only have Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain ahead of him.
Numbers don’t add up for Hazard’s departure
With both Craig Gordon and Fraser Forster departing over the summer, Celtic are currently a goalkeeper down on last season.
Behind Hazard in the Parkhead pecking order now sits Tobi Oluwayemi, a 17-year-old signed from the Tottenham Hotspur academy back in the summer of 2019. He’s also a young stopper with absolutely zero senior appearances to his name. The point being that it’s too early for him to be considered.
It would perhaps be okay for Hazard to leave if Celtic signed another goalkeeper. However, Neil Lennon spoke after Sunday’s 3-0 win over Hibernian and stated that it was likely the Hoops would only sign one more player before the window closes on October 5th.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, Lennon said: “We want to add maybe just one to the squad.”
It’s almost a certainty that the position being targeted is left-back given Celtic’s lack of depth in the position. Another goalkeeper just won’t be on the club’s radar, especially knowing they have Northern Ireland international Hazard available.
But with Mullen having joined Doohan in leaving Parkhead this summer, Hazard is going absolutely nowhere.
In other news, we take a look at why one of Celtic’s controversial summer decisions has proven to be a shrewd one.
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