Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate has spoken about his aspirations in football, including his desire to compete at the premier level, amidst his ongoing contract discussions with Scottish champions, Celtic.
Although Hatate has been vocal about his ambitions to play in the English Premier League, Celtic’s management, led by Brendan Rodgers, is keen on retaining him. The midfielder’s current contract is set to expire in 2026, and talks regarding its extension are in progress.
It’s reported that Celtic remains optimistic about Hatate committing his long-term future to the club, following Liel Abada’s recent decision to do the same.
Talks had stalled and were set to restart after the summer transfer window slammed shut.
On-form midfielder Matt O’Riley is also in talks with the club over his future.
However, 26-year-old Hatate is resolute about fulfilling his personal goals and has expressed that he would consider opportunities if the right offer came along. [Japanese outlet Soccer King]
“There’s no end to the details, but broadly speaking, I want to aim for the top. It is my belief that I want to aim higher and higher, so if I have a chance, I would like to take on the challenge.”
He added: “I originally envisioned my final goal within myself. I have set short-term and medium-term goals for this purpose, and I feel that I am gradually achieving them. However, there are still some areas that I haven’t cleared yet, so I want to continue to set clear benchmarks for myself and continue to do so without wavering.
“To put it simply, I want to finish with no regrets. That’s the best. I don’t know how many more years I’ll be doing it, but I really want to finish it with no regrets. Right now, I don’t want to continue playing for a long time, nor do I want to quit anytime soon, but I hope to be able to play to the point where I can be satisfied as a professional soccer player.
“I think my strength is that I can make a variety of plays, so I want to raise my average value even more. At the same time, I also want to give it a unique characteristic. I think there are still areas where I can grow, so I would like to sort those areas out as I go.”
