Reverse tug-of-war as neither club wants Celtic striker

Leigh Griffiths appears to be caught in a reverse tug-of-war with neither Celtic or Dundee wanting the striker. 

A return of two goals since going out on loan in August has been a major letdown with Dundee just two points off the bottom place in the Premiership which would see them return to The Championship. 

Since Griffiths last scored for Celtic Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda have joined the club with little sign of interest from Ange Postecoglou in a 31-year-old with six months left on his contract. 

The exact terms of the loan deal are confidential but it seems that Celtic want the striker to remain at Dundee while there is the prospect of a ban hanging over his head after he booted a firework into the crowd during a League Cup tie against St Johnstone in September. 

The Sun reports: 

The Hoops don’t want the 31-year-old back at Parkhead this month. Griffiths is in the final six months of the new Celtic deal he signed last July but it’s clear he has no future under Ange Postecoglou so they want him staying put. 

Dundee had offered Griff a route out of the Hoops, signing him on a loan deal through to May.  But a return of just two goals in fourteen appearances has left them questioning the commitment they’ve made.  

Talks are ongoing with Celtic about the way forward, which will need two of the three parties to agree. Until a decision has been made, Griffiths will continue at Dens. 

The one-time Scotland international also has the prospect of a lengthy ban hanging over his head after being charged by the SFA for kicking a lit flare into St Johnstone supporters during a Premier Sports Cup tie in September.  

The Hampden authorities have held off from dealing with the issue until the Procurator Fiscal has decided their course of action.  

But that will come back into play once the legal authorities have finished with the case – with a spell on the sidelines inevitable. 

So with a lack of goals added to a potential ban, Dundee are likely to cut their losses with Griffiths should that be possible. 

If Griffiths returned to Celtic it is unlikely that another club would be prepared to take him on loan with the prospect of a ban still to be decided.