Celtic are willing to allow Jack Hendry to go out on loan to Portugal, according to TEAMtalk.
The 24-year-old defender has found himself well down the pecking order at Parkhead, and it is understood that Neil Lennon would be okay with him moving to the continent in search of first-team action.
The Portuguese transfer window does not close until September 21st, meaning that Hendry would be able to complete a switch, despite the Scottish window closing on the 2nd.
Would this be a good idea?
You would have to say yes.
Hendry doesn’t look as if he is going to get a sniff at Celtic this season, having failed to make a single appearance so far this term.
At the age of 24, he has to do something about that, or he risks sinking without a trace in Glasgow.
Clearly, there is a talent in there somewhere. Over the course of his two appearances in the Europa League last season, as per Whoscored, he averaged two aerial duels won per match, as well as a pass success rate of 88.7%.
He also has three Scotland caps, but the fear will be that Hendry will stagnate and potentially even regress without some kind of regular game time.
Portugal could be an ideal destination in that respect.
There would be plenty of sides in the division who would be happy to take a player of his qualities onboard, even if it is just on a temporary basis.
What would a loan mean for his Celtic future?
Theoretically, Hendry would be going out on loan with the sole purpose of raising his game to a standard whereby he could be of use to Neil Lennon’s Celtic side.
The reality might be a bit different though.
Rarely does a player approaching his mid-20s go out on loan and come back into the starting 11 at his parent club.
Predominantly, this kind of move is a precursor to a permanent exit, and there is nothing to suggest that that wouldn’t be the case for a player as obviously surplus to requirements as Hendry is currently.