Official: Hertha Berlin announce Boyata deal
Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - League A - Group 2 - Belgium v Switzerland - King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium - October 12, 2018 Belgium's Dedryck Boyata reacts during the match REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
Hertha Berlin have confirmed the signing of Dedryck Boyata.
The defender will be out of contract at Celtic next month and has signed a three year deal with the German side.
Ronny Deila signed Boyata in 2015 from Manchester City having previously taken Jason Denayer and John Guidetti on loan from the English side.
Hertha have their first signing for next season! ??
Belgium international, Dedryck #Boyata, will play for us in the 2019/20 campaign! ????????#hahohe pic.twitter.com/N1QZpSkcnv
— Hertha Berlin (@HerthaBSC_EN) May 19, 2019
After a very shaky first season Boyata returned from the wilderness in January 2017 to become the first choice central defender under Brendan Rodgers.
Last summer he was involved in a contract stand off following a bid from Fulham but Rodgers returned him into the first team where he formed an effective partnership with Filip Benkovic in the centre of the Celtic defence.
Fellow defenders Mikael Lustig, Emilio Izaguirre and Cristian Gamboa are also out of contract at the end of this season with no sign of any new deals being agreed.
Boyata’s last Celtic appearance was during the March Glasgow derby when he tore his hamstring.