Mikael Lustig has been a loyal servant at Parkhead in the last seven years, but his future at Celtic currently hangs in the balance. The right-back has been struggling for form for quite some time now and is currently in the final few months of his contract. Given that he is 32, there aren’t many takers for keeping him at Celtic Park for long.
Recently the Swedish right back gave an update regarding his future and said (Daily Record), ”I will get a decision regarding the future next week. It has been hard for some time now when I do not know about the future. I have been here [Celtic] for seven years and me and my family enjoy it. ”
”They [AIK Stockholm] know well about my situation, but we have not spoken about any contract. I mean, I have been quite open that I might want to finish my career in Sweden. Clearly, I think about it, but I have a lot to do.”
Celtic brought in Jeremy Toljan on loan from Borussia Dortmund in January but the German defender has looked vulnerable on the defensive front. It is highly unlikely that the Hoops end up spending a lot to sign him permanently in the summer.
We feel that Celtic can still offer Lustig a one or two year deal as the Bhoys will otherwise lose three right backs in the summer. Cristian Gamboa is also in the final few months of his contract and Toljan too has joined on loan until the end of the ongoing season.
Therefore if the club goes on to release all of them, then there would be a major crisis in the right back spot and Celtic might have to sign two right sided full backs in the summer. So we think that keeping Lustig as a backup option for the next two seasons won’t be a bad idea.
Moreover, Lustig is someone who would be willing to give everything for the badge. Even when he hasn’t featured regularly since January, the defender hasn’t been moaning about his situation with his future also being up in the air.
Celtic might still have to go and sign a major right back in the summer if the club wants to reach the next level and become more competitive in Europe. Toljan’s poor form has shown that the Swedish defender isn’t as bad as many make him out to be, and he can be a decent backup option given his experience.
