AEK Athens have made contact with Celtic to sound out the possibility of bringing back goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, according to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulous.
Celtic are not said to be entertaining the idea of letting him leave on loan.
And Barkas apparently isn’t keen on the idea of returning to his homeland at this moment in time.
Barkas had played more than 100 games for AEK before making a £4.5million move to Glasgow last summer (via BBC Sport).
How has Barkas fared at Celtic Park?
He’s made 20 appearances for the Hoops in his debut season, conceding 21 goals and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, he hasn’t started a Scottish Premier League game since the 2-2 draw with Livingston at the end of January.
Scott Bain has got the nod either side of Neil Lennon’s departure.
Barkas could potentially be in line for a recall on Saturday night when Celtic face Falkirk in the third round of the Scottish Cup.
On Thursday, Celtic were said to be ‘closing in’ on the appointment of Eddie Howe, so they’ll surely delay any transfer decisions until he’s on board.
Fan feed Everything Celtic relayed the Barkas update, and here’s how supporters responded.
These Celtic fans want to see Barkas given another chance
“I genuinely want Barkas to prove himself here. He’s got the stats to back his abilities”
“Got everything to be a top goalie, and by far the best I’ve seen with ball at his feet, lockdown has wrecked him, added in our defence and it’s been a nightmare for him”
“He’ll be our first choice for the new season, give him an actual chance in front of a settled defence!”
“Looking forward to seeing him be given a chance. I think he’ll come good under Howe”
“He needs a chance. Forster was way worse at the beginning but his performances near the end have made people completely forget that.”
“Definitely a good potential in him, he wasn’t given enough time to settle in what was a terrible season.”
“I’d keep him, Barkas deserves a chance with a very good manager and coaches to give him some confidence”
“Hopefully this is a sign he gets his chance then”