Celtic are ready to open contract talks with two star players in the final weeks of the transfer window, according to reliable reporter Scott Burns.
What’s the latest Celtic news?
The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have been busy so far in te transfer market this summer with seven new signings made. Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Tomoki Iwata have all made the move to Glasgow on permanent deals at a total cost of around £14.5m.
The club are in profit thanks to Jota’s big-money move to Saudi Arabia, and further additions could be made before the end of the month. Recent reports have linked Celtic with two Premier League players in Wolves winger Daniel Podence and Tottenham’s Eric Dier, however, it looks as if the club’s priority is on extensions for current star players.
Two of those who appear to be part of Rodgers’ long-term plan are Liel Abada and Reo Hatate, with the pair’s current contracts set to expire in 2026.
Are Abada and Hatate staying at Celtic?
Burns shared a story for The Daily Record in the last 48 hours regarding Celtic and new deals for Abada and Hatate.
The reporter stated that Rodgers wants the pair to remain at Parkhead and that Hoops officials want to reward them with improved deals and to increase the length of their agreements and are aiming to get them finalised before the end of the transfer window.
This comes after Rodgers addressed Hatate’s situation after leaving him out of the opening games of the season.
"He (Hatate) has got three years left on his contract so there’s no rush. It’s a new cycle, a new manager and he has to prove himself. I’m not really worried about what’s said or not, I’ll play the team I see with the best energy, mentality and efficiency with how we want to work.
"There’s no doubt Reo is a talented player, but there are other talented players in the squad. If players aren’t playing, I’ve been open and honest with them about where we’re at, how I prepare a team, when I tell them the team, and when they’re not playing how they’ve got to respond."
Since arriving last year, the midfielder has made 68 appearances for the Hoops, scoring 13 times and providing 14 assists with his Transfermarkt valuation increasing to a career-high €11m.
Meanwhile, Abada has turned out on more than 100 occasions in Glasgow during his two-year stay, with his market value also at a career-high, showing the player’s worth in Scotland.
Abada has also been heavily linked with a Parkhead exit in 2023, with reports prior to the summer claiming that the winger had failed to agree to a new deal and that the Hoops were expecting the player to leave for up to £10m amid links to Southampton.
However, for both, it could be that they extend their respective deals over the coming weeks in what some may see as a surprise giving speculation during 2023, with talks set to get underway soon.