PSG left-back Mitchel Bakker isn’t interested in a loan to Celtic and instead wants to fight for his place in Paris, according to Dutch journalist Thierry Boon.
Bakker has been the subject of interest over the course of the weekend, with Sky Sports initially reporting that the Hoops saw a loan bid rejected by the Ligue 1 champions.
The Daily Record then said yesterday that Celtic were ready to go in with a second offer. PSG were also reported to be open to allowing the former Ajax youngster to head out temporarily.
However, all of that has now been thrown into the air by NOS Sport journalist Boon. He stated on Twitter that the player wasn’t interested in leaving Paris on loan, and tweeted that the player has said: “I’m going for a chance in Paris.”
https://twitter.com/ThierryBon0/status/1302933991566213120
Bakker managed to make five appearances for PSG last season including two cup finals in which he played the entirety of – winning both the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France.
Celtic must move on swiftly if deal is off the table
It sounds as though Bakker needs to have a discussion with PSG boss Thomas Tuchel about where he fits into things in Paris.
If he’s shutting the door on Celtic without being given assurances that he’ll get more opportunities this term, it could be a big mistake. After all, another five outings this season won’t do a lot for him – or at least it would do nowhere near as much as 35-plus appearances would at a club like Celtic.
For a player with such inexperience in senior football – he’s played seven matches overall (Transfermarkt) – this could be his golden chance to make a name for himself. He would be wise to ensure he’s thought it through thoroughly before committing to another year as a back-up in France.
But Celtic also can’t afford to wait about for too long. We have vital Europa League qualifiers coming up that the club should be tooled up for. Whilst the Hoops should easily have enough to KO Riga or Tre Fiori in the third qualifying round, the playoff is around the corner on October 1st.
The Daily Record has reported that left-back remains Neil Lennon’s priority this summer. Therefore, Celtic likely wouldn’t want to be kept waiting too long before a final decision is made.
It’s vital for Bakker that he knows what he’s doing here, and important for the club to come to a decision as swiftly as possible.
In other news, Leicester are reportedly unlikely to put an offer in for Odsonne Edouard unless Celtic make a key decision.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
