Celtic have been in the midst of a rebuild since the beginning of the season with the emphasis on bringing players in and not so much about the exits or players already at the club.
There will have to be a shift over the next few months and serious talks will have to take place when it comes to players who’ve been at the club for a long time.
Here are five players who are out of contract in the next 18 months.
Karamoko Dembele – Expires: Summer 2022
The winger shows no signs of staying at the club at this moment in time. Ange is including Karamoko in first team training and has made him feel like a first team squad member at this point, but is his mind already made up?
James Forrest – Expires: Summer 2023
James will almost be 32 by the time his contract is up at Celtic. Having spent his whole career at the club, it would be strange to have a Celtic team without James in or around the squad. However, on average, wingers, in general, tend to have diminishing returns the older they get.
Will Celtic look to extend James’ stay beyond next summer or would that be a jumping-off point for both parties? Abada is clearly the first team winger at the moment but James still has his part to play as we witnessed against Livingston.
Nir Bitton – Expires: Summer 2023
Nir has been marked for the Celtic exit so many times but continues to be a fixture at the club. The Israeli has played under Neil Lennon (Twice), Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers and now Ange Postecoglou. All these managers have used Nir as a utility player and he continues to have a role to play. The midfielder is a similar age to James Forrest and would this be a case of another long term player seeing out a deal?
Chris Jullien – Expires: Summer 2023
This is the strangest one. Chris has played 15 minutes of football in 15 months at Celtic sue to injury and the manager has been reluctant to throw Chris back into the thick of things. Bt the summer, Chris will be in the final year of his deal and by the end of the year, he’ll be able to talk to other clubs. Does the manager want to keep Chris next season? If Ange believes he can keep Carter-Vickers or has someone else in mind, could the club cash in on Chris this summer?
Personally, I’d like to see the Frenchman sign a new deal.
Tom Rogic – Expires: Summer 2023
Tom is enjoying a Celtic renaissance under Ange Postecoglou and the manager is clearly happy to have Tom in the side. After rejecting a Celtic exit in the 20/21 season, the Celtic hero will mark ten years at Celtic in 2023.
Like Nir and James, getting into your 30s means long term deals might be off the table and there might be one-year extensions available to Tom and the rest of them depending on where they are.
