As per reports in the Turkish media, Besiktas are the latest club to join the race to sign Celtic’s Dedryk Boyata who is in the last year of his contract. The defender was close to leaving the club in the summer, but nothing materialised. The Belgian had a successful outing in the World Cup and as a result was in demand in the summer window. However, Celtic were able to keep hold of their man but not without suffering some collateral damage.
Boyata made himself unavailable for selection for a Champions League qualifier, and many fans wanted the club to sell the defender after he decided not to represent the Bhoys even though he was fit and available. However, Rodgers has slowly managed to turn the tide around, and Boyata has put in some decent performance at the back of late.
Boyata also claimed later he is committed as a Celtic player. He had said,”Right now I’m in a position where I’m not supposed to say anything about what happened in the past(summer window). But I am fully committed with the team and I’m trying to give as much as I can whenever I’m on the pitch. I’m a Celtic player and I’m very happy to be a Celtic player. Whatever happens next, happens next”
Besiktas are wary that they might lose Croatian centre-back Domajog Vida in the future and are eyeing this 27-year-old defender as a possible replacement. However, we think that if clubs from top 5 leagues come calling for Boyata, then Besiktas might struggle to land him.
It is clear that the Belgian is not going to stay at Park Head after his contract runs out. It is likely that he is going to see out his contract. Reports suggest that the defender could open up talks regarding a pre-contract with clubs and he could move later in the summer for free.
Boyata can be termed as one of the best defenders in the Premiership and it is no surprise that he is in such demand. The Belgian reads the game well and is dominant in the air. He is physically strong and one can see him doing well even in the English top flight.
The Hoops were reportedly offered £9m by Fulham for the centre back and many might be thinking that the club made a mistake by not agreeing to such a lucrative deal. However, if Celtic go on to win their eighth consecutive title and if Boyata leaves on a high by contributing regularly on the defensive front, Rodgers and many of their fans would take that.
