Celtic are willing to listen to offers for defender Stephen Welsh this January, having previously insisted he was not for sale.
Welsh attracted transfer interest last January and during the summer transfer window, most closely linked with a move to Serie A side Udinese and Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse.
However, Celtic rebuffed those advances and considered him an important squad member as back-up to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt.
Now, Sky Sports reports [10/01, 10:33] that Celtic will hear potential buyers out, having now recruited more players to the centre-back position.
Manager Ange Postecoglou is said to be an admirer of the player but understands his desire to be playing regularly at this stage of his career. Currently, there’s little chance of Welsh getting a sustained run in the Celtic side.
A product of the Celtic academy, Welsh has started 47 games for his boyhood club with another five coming from the bench.
This season he’s made only six appearances, the last of which came back in early October. With Yuki Kobayashi joining the club, new signing Tomoki Iwata also able to play in defence and Moritz Jenz also available, competition for places is fiercer than ever.
A move abroad could well be what Welsh needs to kickstart his career, with the player turning 23 later this month.
Given Celtic rejected a loan-to-buy deal worth £3.5m in the summer, the club could take in a decent fee for the homegrown player, which would show the academy is capable of producing talent even if they don’t become stand-out first-team choices.
In other news, Promising signs from South Korea on Cho Gue-sung to Celtic; timeline for decision.
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