Celtic chief Peter Lawwell has told senior midfielder Olivier Ntcham will not be leaving the club for any price this summer as moves are reportedly in the pipeline, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper claim on their website that the chief executive has addressed rumours that Porto are lining up a move for the 22-year-old midfielder by informing him that the club have no interest in cashing in on him or fellow French under-21 international Moussa Dembele this summer, and will reject bids no matter the price.
However the same cannot be said about Dedryck Boyata, with the club reportedly willing to green light his exit so long as the fee is right after his behind-the-scenes controversy, appearing to refuse to play for the club.
Opinion
Not letting Ntcham go this summer will be one of the best decisions Celtic make, for his current talent and future potential makes him a seriously valuable asset. It is easy to see why clubs might think they can poach him away from Parkhead for a cut-price fee, the Hoops having been knocked out of the Champions League and missing out on its riches, but there should be enough in the bank to keep the club afloat with their top stars. The likely sale of Boyata will go some way to giving the club the necessary funds moving forward, and there could be another exit or two before September comes around in a bid to keep the books balanced. With Ntcham and Dembele among their stars, they should be tasting yet more unprecedented success in Scotland this summer, while there should also be expectations of impressing in the Europa League – if they make it to the group stages.