Martin O’Neill has admitted Reo Hatate may be looking beyond Celtic, but his team selections said it first.
Hatate has spoken about leaving Celtic to test himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues. O’Neill now believes the midfielder may also be ready to move on.
That fits what happened during Celtic’s run-in. By the Hearts title decider, Hatate had disappeared from O’Neill’s starting XI.
🗣️ Reo Hatate confirms his desire to leave Celtic…
Martin O’Neill’s Celtic team sheets made his Hatate call clear
Discussing Hatate and Daizen Maeda, O’Neill said, “I think that Reo has done exceptionally well at the football club since he arrived. People have said he might even have been the best player in Scotland two or three years ago.
“I think myself that he’s probably looking to maybe see if there’s new pastures for him.
“I’ll see how it goes with him here when he’s there. So, like everything else, during this particular time, it’s a bit unsettling for players, a wee bit like Maeda. So, you just don’t know.
“I’d love to keep him [Maeda] at the football club. He’s done brilliantly, and he’s got a year left to run. But I said to him, if he left the football club, I would be obviously disappointed, but he couldn’t have done any more for us.
“He really couldn’t have done any more.
“And Reo himself, let’s see what options might be around. But if nothing develops, I’d be very happy to keep him.”
O’Neill chose his words carefully. His team sheets were much clearer.
Hatate’s final start came against Dundee United on 22 March. He did not start any of Celtic’s five post-split league fixtures.
He came off the bench twice before missing the Hearts title decider and the Scottish Cup final squad.
O’Neill had previously said Hatate was making mistakes and losing confidence. He then picked others for the matches that decided Celtic’s double.
Celtic must now settle Reo Hatate’s future
Hatate is under contract until 2028, so Celtic can reject any offer that falls short of his value.
Leaving him in limbo helps nobody. O’Neill must either restore Hatate to his starting midfield or Celtic should sell him for the right fee.
This interview did not create the uncertainty around Hatate. O’Neill’s team sheets had done that months ago.
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