OPINION
Celtic fans will surely be fuming after it has reportedly emerged that talks to sell midfielder Olivier Ntcham have halted.
The latest report from La Provence claims that a new stumbling block has appeared in Marseille’s attempts to sign the 23-year-old.
According to the French news outlet, Marseille must sell some of their players before they can afford the move for Ntcham, with whom they have been continually linked over the past few weeks.
According to French journalist Robin Bairner, Ntcham has a £15million price tag and it looks as if the Ligue 1 club have taken a significant step back in their approach.
Marseille's move for Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham has stalled for the moment, La Provence reports. OM will have to sell before meeting Celtic's €17m (£15m) asking price.
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) June 7, 2019
This is sure to annoy Celtic fans, as Ntcham has had a torrid season and it does not look like he is going to improve any time soon if he stays at Parkhead.
The midfielder was signed from Manchester City’s Under-23 squad in the summer of 2017 and, last season, he made 37 appearances in all competitions.
He scored six goals and registered one assist in those games, but he was far from setting the world alight, and there were plenty of better players in the Hoops squad.
So it would make absolute sense for the player to leave this summer. Now, though, it looks like a move to see him leave the club could well be out of the window.
If the report from La Provence is true, negotiations for Marseille to try and raise funds will surely take time to complete, and by the sounds of it, there is no way the Ligue 1 club will make any further move for Ntcham until sales are ratified.
This means that not only will this transfer rumour continue for a good while longer, but it could even mean that Ntcham will be staying at Parkhead.
The other alternative, of course, is for Neil Lennon’s side to find another club who want Ntcham, but that is already proving difficult.