Fifty appearances in all competitions, seventeen goals and six assists. Those are impressive returns for Scott Sinclair, and the number of appearances showcases how important he is in the first team. However, even after all that, the Englishman’s future is up in the air. Sinclair is in the final few months of his contract at Parkhead, and as things stand, he will become a free agent in the summer.
Celtic does have an option to trigger a year-long extension, but that right hasn’t been exercised yet by the club. Moreover, since Neil Lennon took over, Sinclair has failed to get regular game time, and he has mostly been used as a substitute by the Northern Irish manager. Someone like Jonny Hayes has started over him in big games, and that suggests that Sinclair is slightly out of favour under Lennon.
The managerial position is yet not certain so deciding on the player’s future could be tough. Maybe a new manager would want someone like Sinclair in his scheme of things. His goal tally would suggest that he deserves a contract, but there are also fair enough reasons for letting the English winger leave.
Arguments for Sinclair
His goals and assists suggest that he is an essential contributor in the final third. With so many on loan players set to leave in the summer, keeping Sinclair could be the right call. Around a month back, reports emerged that Lennon was in talks over the contract situation of the winger. It remains to be seen what the club will do.
Arguments against him
Sinclair has been far too ineffective in the final third, and his form has tapered off late. Moreover, the goals he scored this season has often been because of the overall brilliance of his team as Sinclair had scored quite a few simple goals from close quarters. He is often predictable in the way he takes on defenders and sometimes the winger could be a frustrating player to watch given the number of chances he squanders.
Final verdict
Losing him on a free transfer would definitely be a loss for the club, so Celtic should atleast trigger the year-long extension soon if they can’t get him on a new contract. The Bhoys already have too much rebuilding to do in various positions, and players like Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke will return to their parent clubs.
If Celtic cannot get replacements for them or get them on another loan spell, then keeping Sinclair would be the right way to go. Even if they get those players, they should trigger the one-year extension for Sinclair. That way, Celtic can look to sell him in the next two windows so as to not lose him on a free transfer.
