Former Celtic defender Jason Denayer is closing in on a surprise move to the UAE, joining Shabab Al Ahli, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Belgian internationalist spent a season at Parkhead in the 2014/15 season, signing on loan from English Premier League side Manchester City.
Denayer was one of several loan players shared between the two teams in recent years, with players such as John Guidetti and Patrick Roberts also spending short spells in Glasgow.
During Denayer’s loan spell, the defender was seen as a reliable performer, striking up a strong partnership alongside current Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk.
Not only was Denayer seen as a good defender, but he also provided a threat in the opposition box, scoring six goals in his 44 appearances in the green and white Hoops.
During Ronny Deila’s first 12 months in the Parkhead dugout, the on-loan Manchester City man helped the Bhoys to Scottish Premiership and League Cup success.
Denayer also picked up several individual awards from his time at Celtic, winning PFA Scotland Young Players of the Year, Celtic Young Player of the Year and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.
Following his impressive time in Glasgow, the defender didn’t manage to kick on at Manchester Cty and went on to have further loan spells at Galatasaray (x2) and Sunderland.
His most settled period as a player, came between 2018-2022, when he finally completed his permanent exit, joining French Ligue 1 side Lyon.
Playing alongside another former Celtic man, Moussa Dembele, the Belgian defender’s biggest achievement in France was helping Lyon reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019/20.
However, this summer he decided to call time on his spell at Lyon upon the expiry of his current deal. Plenty of rumours arose, suggesting that Denayer could be headed to the English Premier League once again with Wolves [Express and Star].
Denayer finally secures move as we approach the end of September.
Nothing came of those reports, and it is only as we head towards the end of September that Denayer has managed to secure himself a new club.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the central defender is all set to join Shabab Al Ahli, who are based in Dubai.
Having performed at a consistent level within a top five league in Europe, the move comes as somewhat of a surprise, with Denayer likely to have plenty of options as a free agent in the summer.
At just 27 years of age, the defender is coming into his peak years as a player, but he has decided to make the move to the UAE.
It will be interesting to see what this move does for his international hopes with Belgium. After picking up 35 caps for his nation, you would imagine he is keen to continue performing under Roberto Martinez.
Despite some question marks over the move, we wish Denayer all the very best of luck on his venture, and it would come as no surprise to one day see a player of his quality return to Europe.
In other news, Scotland boss Steve Clarke singles out reliable Celtic star for praise.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
