Oostende have until May 31 to complete the transfer deal of Jack Hendry from Celtic.
The defender was miles out of the picture at Celtic last summer but is expected to be part of the Scotland squad at the European Championships after an outstanding season in Belgium.
Incredibly it seems that Peter Lawwell put a win-win option into the loan agreement with Oostende that is set to net the Belgian side a major windfall.
If Hendry had flopped he’d be sent back to Celtic with a year to run on his contract, if successful he would cost £1.5m to make the move permanent with English clubs ready to offer Oostende £5m or more for someone that has impressed in one of the most scouted leagues in Europe.
Scott Burns of the Daily Record has tracked Hendry’s progress all season, this morning he gives an update as Celtic’s summer makeover edges closer:
The backline has been one of Celtic’s Achilles’ heels this season, as they have leaked goals in comparison to their previous nine-in-a-row charge. That has been one of the reasons why their 10 In A Row mission fell at such an early hurdle.
The fact that they haven’t even taken a second look at Hendry this season is surprising. Hendry, providing he is fit, is likely to be going to Euro 2020 as part of Steve Clarke’s squad.
The Belgian side are now falling over themselves to get a deal done. They know Hendry is attracting some big interest from Belgium and across Europe. The likelihood is that even if he pens a permanent deal at KV he is unlikely to be there beyond the summer. KV are likely to sign him and sell him on for two or even three times what they have to pay Celtic.
Celtic are reported to have paid between £1.2-1.5m to Dundee to sign Hendry in January 2018.
