Dedryck Boyata is out of contract at the end of the 2018/19 season and seems set to leave Scottish Premiership champions Celtic
Celtic will now be very pleased that they managed to keep Dedryck Boyata at Parkhead this summer.
It is no secret that the centre-back wanted to leave the Glasgow giants before the transfer window slammed shut, having raised his profile with some fine performances in Belgium’s run to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The Daily Record reports that Boyata was essentially on strike in the early weeks of the season as he attempted to secure a move away but Celtic stood firm and refused to sell, despite receiving a £9 million bid from Fulham, according to The Times.
Since the end of August, however, Boyata has been in terrific form and Rodgers has lauded his performances – though the Northern Irishman has admitted that the former Manchester City defender is still likely to leave in the near future.
“Dedryck will leave at some point. You look at him now and you see he is really defined now as a player who has gained great confidence the last two years, the last 18 months in particular,” Rodgers told the Daily Record.
“Going to the World Cup, he has proven there at a good level that he can play with world class players.
“He is entering into his years at 28 where he can show it. I have always said when he is concentrated that he is a top class player.”
Boyata is out of contract at the end of this season and, in quotes reported by the Scottish Sun, his agent Jacques Lichtenstein claimed that the centre-back will sign a pre-contract agreement with another club on January 1st.
Though Celtic will not have given hope yet of tying Boyata down to a new contract.
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