Reo Hatate is not enjoying the best of seasons right now at Celtic as the Japanese midfielder struggles for form.
Hatate has been in and out of Celtic’s starting XI as he fails to recapture the magic of his first two seasons in Glasgow that made him a hero to the Hoops support.
The Japan star is still one of the best players in the country, but was dropped to the Celtic bench in the win against Falkirk.
How much would you sell Reo Hatate for?
Hatate made a substitute appearance towards the end of the game, but what he did made Celtic hero John Collins really worry about the midfielder.
John Collins says Reo Hatate looks really unfit at Celtic
Hatate was notoriously well-known for his energy levels when he played under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.
But for Collins, it seems that the Japanese midfielder’s fitness was really lacking at the Falkirk stadium.
Collins told BBC Sportsound, “Hatate came on as a sub. I was really disappointed in his energy levels. End of the game, he’s looking like he’s played 95 minutes instead of 25 minutes.
“So these are little worrying signs for me. Normally Celtic, you think the sub’s going on, you’re like, oh no, fresh legs, they’re going to tear us apart the last 15 minutes. That wasn’t the case tonight.
“Celtic in the last 15 minutes were hanging on against Falkirk. Celtic were poor in possession the last 20 minutes.”
Should Celtic sell Reo Hatate?
In a word, yes. Hatate probably should have been sold last summer as his form and interest already appeared to have waned.
Now at the club for four years, Hatate’s time at Celtic has been overstretched and it’s time for the midfielder to move on.
However, that can’t be allowed to happen until the summer because for all that Hatate is not at his best, Celtic really need him available for this title run-in.
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