Leigh Griffiths is set to bank a five month pay-off on his Celtic contract rather than have his deal terminated.
On Saturday night the Daily Record broke the news that it was time up for the striker who was given a 12 month contract in July then sent on loan to Dundee the following month.
It has been fairly clear from the early days of Ange Postecoglou’s reign that there was no place for Griffiths who has made little impact on the park since moving to Dundee.
Following on from the story in the Record, The Sun reports:
CELTIC chiefs feared Leigh Griffiths would be an unwanted distraction if he returned to Parkhead.
It’s understood that’s the reason the Hoops board struck a financial deal for the remaining five months of the striker’s contract.
Official confirmation of Griffiths’ exit from Celtic is expected within days, while he could yet stay at loan club Dundee for the rest of the season.
The reports concluded:
Ange Postecoglou had made it clear Griffiths wasn’t part of his plans. Now the former Livingston and Hibs frontman, in a second spell at Dundee, is set to bank a pay-off to become a free agent. Griffiths will likely agree reduced terms with McPake to see out the current campaign.
In contrast, on Saturday night the Record claimed:
Leigh Griffiths could be without a club at the end of January after Celtic decided to terminate his contract.
The Hoops striker will remain at Dundee on loan until the end of the transfer window but will then be allowed to leave Parkhead.
Mailsport understands the club have triggered a clause in the one-year deal he signed last summer, which allows Celtic to cut him loose.
Whoever decided that Griffiths was worth a further 12 month contract made a very costly mistake.
The recruitment between August 2018 and October 2021 brought in diverse talents such as Youssouf Mulumbu, Marian Shved, Vakoun Bayo, Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas, Boli Bolingoli, Ismaila Soro and Hatem Abd Elhamed who contributed little with many still draining the pay-roll.
Griffiths isn’t in that company having scored regularly through the second nine-in-a-row but the decision to hand him a 12 month contract has proved very costly with no return.
