CELTIC will no doubt be looking to take advantage of the pre-contract market in January but there are two major players at Parkhead set to fall into the final six months of their deal.
The two players couldn’t be more opposite.
Scott Brown, the Celtic captain, will head into the final six months of his two-year deal, signed after interest from Australia nearly prematurely ended his Celtic career.
Brown will be at Celtic for as long as the club want him and there’s scope for a coaching role when his playing days are done. Right now, we’re unsure if the club will sign the captain beyond the summer.
The other player set to field potential offers elsewhere in January is Karamoko Dembele.
The winger has not made the breakthrough as of yet and Neil Lennon doesn’t want to rush him through even though he’s played for the first team a handful of times.
The biggest problem for Dembele and the club is the lack of a proper youth system. There are very few competitive games for the youngsters to play and it’s become worse since the pandemic.
With no first-team football on the horizon and no proper direction at Lennoxtown, the winger could leave the club before he’s reached the first team proper. It would be hugely disappointing considering the Celtic fans hopes for the winger.
Speaking when he signed his first permanent deal two-years ago, Dembele told the Celtic Website:
“It means a lot to me to start my professional career at Celtic. I came here at a young age, and, after all the stuff me and family have been through together, it’ll be good to make them proud.
“I’d like to say thank you to everyone, and I’d like to thank everyone for everything they’ve done for me,” he said. “I’d also like to thank everyone for the training I’ve received, the discipline I’ve been taught, and the advice I’ve been given all the way.
“Getting attention at a young age has been hard, but I’ve obviously had my family to help me through that. You need to be strong mentally, you need to stay grounded, and you just need to get on with everything that you do on a daily basis.
“Seeing players come through the Academy and into the first team gives you hope, because you know they’ve taken the same path. That means you’ve got a chance to make it into the first team if you work hard and give it your all.
“My brother Siriki, who plays for Peterborough United, first taught me how to play football. I wasn’t always interested in football, but he brought me in and he helped me. He helps me in everything I do. If I have a bad game, he’ll talk to me and he’ll say, ‘don’t be down, keep your morale high’.”
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