Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham wants to quit the club and join Porto after they tabled a £13million bid for him, according to Goal.
The football site claim the agent of the France Under-21 international will hold showdown talks with Hoops top brass today (Friday) as he looks to secure a late-window move to the Primeira Liga club.
Goal report Celtic are “determined” to hold on to Ntcham even though £13million would be a record-breaking transfer fee received, ahead of the £12.5million Southampton spent on Victor Wanyama in 2013.
Good move for Celtic?
Allowing Dedryck Boyata to scuttle out the Parkhead back door by the 31 August cut-off is one thing. Offloading arguably the team’s outstanding performer in the new season is another. Ntcham has made an increasingly significant impact at Celtic since signing from Manchester City for around £4.5million last year. In 55 matches for the club, the central midfielder has scored 11 goals and supplied seven assists, forming a fine partnership with Scott Brown. Aged 22, his best years are ahead of him and Celtic must do all they can to ensure that he stays for at least another season. It’s inevitable a player of Ntcham’s pedigree will eventually go, but offloading him in the final fortnight of what has been a calamitous window would catapult Celtic into a full-blown crisis.
This Is Futbol rating 2/10
Likely to happen?
Celtic are certainly vulnerable to losing Ntcham, as he appears keen to push hard for a late-window exit. It will need all of Peter Lawwell and Brendan Rodgers’ smooth talking to fend off Porto, who are reported to be ready to return with an improved offer. That could prove decisive. But, surely, Celtic won’t sell unless they have a ready-made replacement lined up?
This Is Futbol rating 6/10