Despite a slow start in terms of incomings, Celtic have made rapid progress of late by roping in Christopher Julien, Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo and Luka Connell. A few of their stars have left Parkhead upon expiration of their contracts, but the Hoops are also battling it out to keep hold of their key figures for the 2019-20 season.
Meanwhile, the recent outburst of Olivier Ntcham angered the supporters as well as Neil Lennon who is set to take a strong stance once the Frenchman rejoins the group on Monday at Lennoxtown training centre.
“It’s new to me. For him to go public about it without speaking to the club first is wrong – he is under contract. Whether he’s unhappy or not it shouldn’t have been made for public consumption the way he has done it. He will be reminded of his responsibilities while he is still here. If he wants to go, we will have to sit down and take a view on it.”
Lennon took a dig at the midfielder while speaking to the press (as quoted by the Daily Record).
Flashback
Ntcham enjoyed a successful debut season under Brendan Rodgers since completing a £4.5m transfer from Manchester City a couple of summers back. His emergence earned the attention of Porto, but the Hoops blocked a move. And the player did not hide his frustration while speaking to L’Equipe recently.
“Games came one after another but with respect to my opponents, if the level isn’t high, you don’t progress. I was really disappointed not to have gone to Porto last summer.”
The 23-year-old is also aware of Marseille’s interest and labelled it as ‘flattering’ in regard to his progress and career growth.
What Should The Hoops Do?
It was indeed unprofessional from the youngster to go public rather than having a dignified discussion with his current employers. This has now made the matter far more serious which, in turn, might jeopardize his future at Celtic Park. The Hoops are in no hurry whatsoever to sell Ntcham having tied him down until the summer of 2022 and should play hardball with the potential suitors.
The player should be exiled from the first-team action for the time being as the arrival of Connell should restore parity in the centre of the pitch. The treble ‘treble’ winners are also chasing the signing of Brentford skipper Romaine Sawyers (as reported by the Daily Record) whereas the experience of Scott Brown, the versatility of Callum McGregor and the creativity of Tom Rogic would boost them up with enough flexibility irrespective of Ntcham’s presence in the middle of the park.
