Celtic’s Mikael Lustig is out of contract at the end o the season.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during training
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has told The Scottish Sun that he spoke to Mikael Lustig on Thursday about extending his stay at the club.
Lustig, 29, made his name in Norway with Rosenborg, and after almost 150 appearances, he left the club on a free transfer in January 2012 having penned a pre-contract agreement with Celtic.
Since his move, Lustig has largely established himself as Celtic’s first-choice right back, and has been one of the first names on the teamsheet since Adam Matthews’ 2015 move to Sunderland.
Barcelona’s Neymar in action with Celtic’s Mikael Lustig
Now though, confusion surrounds Lustig’s future at Celtic Park. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he will be able to pen a pre-contract agreement elsewhere once the January transfer window opens.
Whilst Celtic did bring in another right back in August by signing Cristian Gamboa from West Brom, manager Brendan Rodgers won’t want to lose a veteran defender like Lustig – and has now discussed the player’s future.
Celtic’s Mikael Lustig celebrates scoring
Speaking to The Scottish Sun, Rodgers has admitted that he spoke to Lustig on Thursday, and told him that he wants to keep him at the club beyond his current deal.
Rodgers hailed the Swedish international, stating that he has been really impressed with his performances, whilst his maturity has also caught Rodgers’ eye too.
On the subject of Lustig’s future, Rodgers says he is sure that the player’s representatives will hold talks with the club in the near future in a bid to get a deal over the line.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
“Mikael is someone I definitely want to keep at the club. I spoke to him on Thursday about that,” said Rodgers. “He is a player I’ve been really impressed with. He’s been consistently available, he’s played a lot of games and has great maturity. Mikael is a wonderful guy for the team and is an international player.”
“He’s 29 and is at the peak of his career. He’s been outstanding. Mikael is the type of player I want to have here to help create and build something. I’m sure him and his representatives will speak to the club and hopefully organise that,” he added.
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