Brendan Rodgers wants David Turnbull signed upto a new Celtic contract but the fine detail is out of his hands.
Michael Nicholson will try to agree terms with the player’s agent but if a deal can’t be worked out then Mark Lawwell will come into play with replacement plans.
Turnbull has started four SPFL Premiership games this season but is in that delicate period with his contract up at the end of this season.
A lucrative deal could be waiting elsewhere but probably not with a club with the profile of Celtic and prospects of success.
Against that the former Motherwell man has dropped out of the Scotland squad with international recognition a big attraction with Steve Clarke taking the national squad out of the wilderness years.
Discussing Turnbull’s situation with The Sun, Rodgers said:
There have been talks with his agent and the club, I believe, but I’m not sure what the latest on that is.
For us, David is a player we would like to keep, so it’s not us here on the club side. He has to do what he thinks is right for himself.
At this moment in time, he is still in the last year of his contract. For me, unless something changes, it is just a case of seeing the players giving their all.
It only becomes a problem if I don’t see the intensity that I want, the mentality that I want. That’s always something I am mindful of with players in the last year of their contracts.
You have to be right on it, otherwise you can drift very easily, and think about other things. As manager I won’t let that happen, no matter how good anyone is.
Those final comments seem like a little warning to Turnbull but after starting against St Mirren in midweek he must be figuring somewhere in his manager’s plans.
Turnbull’s Celtic career has been something of a whirlwind after his initial move in the summer of 2019 was halted after a medical.
A year later the deal was completed but the player found himself frozen out for four months as Celtic collapsed in the Lockdown season.
Initially a key player under Ange Postecoglou, things came to a halt when Turnbull suffered a bad hamstring injury in the final of the League Cup, with Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate signing a month later the former Motherwell man has been battling to get back into the Starting XI ever since.
With UEFA requiring four players developed by SFA clubs in Champions League squads it is unlikely that Celtic would find a replacement that meets that criteria.
Didn’t realise Turnbull was in his last year of his contract?
That shouldn’t be allowed to happen, especially when he’s still only 24 years old.
He might not be good enough for a regular start in the team,
but he can walk for free next summer.
We paid Motherwell £3M for him: surely we could / should have sold him in the
summer – and recouped at least that amount?
Unless I’m missing something: this looks poorly managed…?
He can go always 2 good matches in five is a poor record he has a great delivery he is lookingmorerelaxed and not quite playing with a smile on his face missed importantenakty not the first ust lacksthat half a yard holm is going to be a top midfielder and when hiati fit no manager can promise first team football personally i think e has fell out with Cektic
Personally I can take or leave Turnbull, for me he is not consistent enough and gives the ball away a lot.
I think we all know if Hatate is fit Turnbull won’t start.
I’d even start Odin in front of Turnbull.