Nir Bitton’s future remains at Celtic after Neil Lennon gave the midfielder the green light to stay at the club, according to Football Insider.
Twenty-two time Israel international Bitton has previously said that he wants to stay at Celtic [The Scottish Sun], with his current contract at Parkhead set to expire next summer.
Football Insider say that while there have been talks within the Hoops hierarchy about letting Bitton go, they report that Hoops boss Lennon has agreed to allow the 27-year-old to see out the remainder of his deal.
OPINION
By the sounds of it, even though Bitton has said in previous comments that he wants to stay at Celtic, it could been a lot worse for the player. The fact that there – reportedly – were talks about terminating the player’s contract seems that Lennon agreeing to let him stay is a bit of a lifeline. It is no secret whatsoever that Bitton’s Celtic career has failed to live up to expectations; he has been a solid player but injuries have really plagued him since he joined from FC Ashdod in August 2013. Last term, the midfielder suffered a bad knee injury which restricted him to just 10 appearances in all competitions – six in the Scottish Premiership. If this report is true, it means that it is going to be a big season for Bitton next term. His contract is up and he has a chance to stake a claim for getting an extension. At the very least, the player will be hoping it will be an injury-free season.