There are reports today that Celtic have taken the decision to terminate Olivier Ntcham’s contract at the club earlier than anticipated.
Website Football Insider first reported the news this morning, citing a Celtic source that claimed the club will not be welcoming back the Frenchman from his loan at Marseille this season.
It’s said that the last year of Ntcham’s contract is effectively an option, meaning Celtic can choose to shed his wages rather than hold on and hope for a buyer.
It’s been a topic of discussion all day amongst online Celtic supporters.
Now, freelance journalist Pete O’Rourke has reported similarly to his 94,000 Twitter followers this evening.
Ntcham signed a contract extension at Celtic in 2018, which was announced to run until 2022.
However, you may remember a similar situation surrounding Jozo Simunovic last year.
The defender’s contract extension in 2017 was announced to ‘at least 2021’, but as we know, the club chose to terminate his contract early last summer having apparently held an option on his final year.
So while it does seem like a strange, unlikely story, there is definite precedent at the club in recent years.
It seems, if reports are accurate, that Celtic aren’t willing to risk having Ntcham on the books at high cost for another year.
Given his difficult time in Ligue 1, I can’t imagine there’d be many buyers for him this summer.
Some may decry the lack of transfer fee for the player, but I reckon moving him on may be the best thing rather than have him return to Lennoxtown and be unhappy.
The new era under a new manager needs to be as positive and unified as possible.
In other news, Moussa Dembele wins first trophy since leaving Celtic.
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