Celtic have lost one Israeli international this week, and a second could be on the move in the very near future.
Hatem Abd Elhamed has left the Bhoys in order to return home to Hapoel Be’er Sheva, having grown homesick during the global pandemic.
His move is done, and The Scottish Sun report that Maccabi Tel Aviv are now keen to lure Nir Bitton back home too.
The 29-year-old still has two years left on his contract with Celtic, meaning the Bhoys aren’t under any great pressure to sell.
Still, Maccabi are ambitious and hope to lure Bitton back to Israel, with Celtic surely looking to engineer something of a swap deal.
The Bhoys have been long-term admirers of Maccabi ace Yonatan Cohen, with Nicky Hammond travelling to watch him in January 2020 according to The Scottish Sun.
Cohen is surely still on Celtic’s radar having starred this season, having hit 12 goals and five assists in 25 games this season.
The 24-year-old would be a versatile attacking weapon for Celtic, given that he can play as a number 10 or on either flank – ideal with Mohamed Elyounoussi set to return to Southampton this summer.
By throwing Bitton into an offer, Celtic may just be able to finally prise Cohen away from Maccabi, giving Neil Lennon – or whoever could be Celtic manager next season – a dangerous option in the final third.
Bitton is only a squad player at Celtic, and if they can flip him in a deal to bring in a quality playmaker with great potential, it’s a deal the Bhoys should certainly be considering.
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