Why Oostende are not signing Celtic defender; it may not be all down to price

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Reports last night suggested that on-loan Celtic defender Osaze Urhoghide is set to return to the club in the summer. KV Oostende have enjoyed a season and a half with the 22-year-old but it seems now his Belgian journey is coming to an end.

Belgian media outlet Nieuwsblad, have claimed that the reason Urhoghide is returning to Celtic is because the Belgian club can’t afford the fee Celtic are expecting. No details on what that fee is are known, but Oostende’s position on that has been consistent over the course of Urhoghide’s time at the club.

Urhoghide has made 36 appearances for the Belgians over the course of his time at the club. The majority of his appearances have been this season where he has managed to become a regular first-team starter.

After a difficult start to his loan spell, the defender managed to find a bit of form heading towards the end of his first season at the club. That convinced Oostende to resign him on loan for a second season.

So why have Oostende not decided to sign him permanently?

The Belgians are currently sitting in the relegation zone. Although a weekend win away to Gent helped lift them from second bottom, they still have a bit of work to do to keep their place in the top division.

If they do make the dreaded drop, then their budget would be slashed which reinforces their point about affordability.

But there is another factor involved that could have swayed their decision. Urhoghide was served a two-game ban and fined 5,000 Euros for a straight red card he received in the 3-1 defeat to Standard Liege at the beginning of April. [Proximus]

The ban meant he missed two crucial matches against Sint-Truidense VV and Oh Leuven. Both games were lost 5-0 and 4-0 respectively which kept Oostende firmly in the relegation zone.

This is not the first time the 22-year-old has suffered indiscipline this season. He was sent off for two bookable offences against fellow relegation candidates KV Mechelen in January. He also had to serve a one-match ban after reaching the yellow card threshold in March.

The Celtic defender seems to have a discipline issue and at a club like Oostende who are fighting relegation, maybe they also see this move as too much of a gamble moving forward.