Nir Bitton’s contract situation is well-known amongst the support, with the player’s deal set to expire at the end of the season.
It didn’t look great for him last season either. He didn’t feature as much as he would’ve envisioned, with a long-term injury ruling him out of football for the best part of 11 months.
Yet, under Lennon this season it’s been a different story. Asked to steady the defence before Christopher Jullien came in the door, there’s been a composure and assuredness about him this season. He’s made 11 out of a possible 14 appearances for the club this season – much more than many would’ve been expecting.
And Lennon appears to be in the mind-set of offering him a new contract. Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Lenny opened up on where he’s at with Bitton.
“I was delighted with the way he was playing, he’s been outstanding whether he has played in midfield or at centre-half. Sometimes he can be a bit too composed! But from what I’ve seen of him lately, he’s been absolutely superb.
“There’s a maturity about him as well that has pleased me. Obviously we know about his contract situation and that’s something we’ll be looking to change as we go along too.
“Hopefully we can get it sorted soon.”
Should Celtic give it until January before offering Bitton anything?
It’s important not to be rash when it comes to new contracts. So far Bitton has had a good start to the season, but nothing more. Lenny could perhaps do with waiting for now to see if Bitton can stay consistent.
The Israeli did struggle at centre-back in stages last season. And whilst there have been early improvements, Celtic will surely want to make sure Bitton stays at a high level before extending his stay.
Lennon, of course, was the man who brought Bitton to the club back during his first spell as manager. He’s always been a favourite of the current boss. But seeing how he continues to perform over the next several months would make sense.
Bitton can’t go anywhere in the mean-time. He can’t discuss his future with other clubs until January. And if Celtic are still liking what they’re seeing from him, they can tie him up just before that happens.
But in fairness to the Israeli, he hasn’t put a foot wrong this season. He continues to look sharp on the ball, and has been a picture of composure this summer.
So it’s case of watching the space on this one. Hopefully, however, we aren’t making a mistake by tying Bitton up early.
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