Leading Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio has suggested that Celtic are ready to hold talks with AC Milan to make Diego Laxalt’s move a permanent deal.
The Uruguayan was signed on transfer deadline day with the anticipation that he would be the left-sided option to allow Neil Lennon’s side to play in a 3-5-2 formation.
Unfortunately Laxalt was pitched into Celtic’s worst run of results in a decade with the formation constantly changing as he waited five matches to record his first win.
Gianluca di Marzio.com claims:
The left winger born in 1993 is playing well and with continuity in his adventure away from Italy: three games in the Europa League, 4 in the league, including the last one this afternoon against Hibernian who also saw him go to network (that of the final 2-2 at 90 ‘).
Laxalt’s performance in the Celtic jersey is increasingly positive, so much so that the two clubs could soon start negotiating for his future . The right occasion could be at the beginning of December, when the Scottish club will be in Italy on the occasion of the match against Milan in the Europa League scheduled for next December 3.
With 1.2m followers on Twitter di Marzio is clearly well connected however could is used twice in the second paragraph. ‘The two clubs could soon start negotiating’ and ‘the right occasion could be’.
Celtic directors will meet with their counterparts in Milan next week, it would be a shock if Laxalt wasn’t discussed.
Predicting what shape Celtic will be in next summer, what priorities they’ll have and how the on loan Uruguayan feels about the move are certainly variables. There could be a change in management in Milan or Celtic that puts a permanent deal in a different light.
What does seem fairly certain is that there will be major change at Celtic next summer.
After losing to Ferencvaros in August Neil Lennon said that some players were looking to leave. Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie, Kris Ajer and Olivier Ntcham are out of contract in June 2022, if they haven’t extended their contracts its likely that Celtic will be as keen on moving them on as the players themselves.