Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Dedryck Boyata could still be persuaded to stay at Celtic, despite ongoing rumours about his future.
The defender was the subject of much speculation over the summer, and with his contract running out at the end of the season, is expected to be hunted by a host of clubs in January.
But when asked whether or not the Belgian international could still be tied a new contract, Hoops boss Rodgers, as quoted in the Times, said: “Maybe. I think he is just weighing it up. He is 28. He is in the last year of his contract.
“He has to have a look at his situation. I am relaxed with it because there has been no drop-off in [his] mentality. There never has been with him. He has been absolutely first-class for me. We will just assess it as time goes on.
“He probably has to look at every option possible. He has created a market for himself now because of how he has performed, which is great for him.
“Careers are short. There has been no lack of commitment from him since the summer but, as a professional player, he has every right to wait and see what happens.
“I can assure everyone that doesn’t take away his commitment to what we’re doing. The next contract will probably be the last big one of his career and he just has to make sure it’s the right one.”
OPINION
Boyata would be a huge loss for Celtic. A proven international centre-back who has been a key member of their backline since moving to Scotland in 2015. This season, despite a complicated beginning to the campaign, he has settled well alongside loan signing Filip Benkovic. The assumption is, of course, that Boyata will leave the Scottish champions, and with his contract expiring in the summer it would be preferable to sell him this winter to regain some funds from his transfer. That being said, while Rodgers’ comments are hardly confirmation that he will stay, there is clearly a grain of doubt about his departure, and one that might just have been strengthened by the Bhoys’ League Cup win and his own partnership with Benkovic. Even the most ardent Celtic fan would have to admit that Boyata could find more of a challenge elsewhere, but he’d struggle to find more success and that could end up being the choice that the defender has to make.