Fabrizio Romano has reported that German Bundesliga side Schalke are set to sign Celtic defender Christopher Jullien on a loan-to-buy deal this summer. Jullien managed just one appearance for the Hoops last term.
Jullien, 29, has been forced to watch from the sidelines for the majority of the past two seasons due to injury – a complete contrast to his first season, in which he played 47 times. In 2020-21, he only managed 14 games.
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Last season, he got one outing under Ange Postecoglou and now, Celtic are set to wave goodbye. He will be joining newly-promoted Bundesliga side Schalke – likely replacing the loss of Celtic target Ko Itakura at centre-back.
It comes after reports said Jullien had interest from Schalke, Lorient and Rennes and could leave for just £1.5million. Romano says Jullien is undergoing a medical, it is a “done deal”, and that he will sign a contract later on Wednesday.
Romano: Schalke set to sign Celtic defender Jullien
Jullien, at his best, is easily good enough for the Bundesliga. But given he has played just one senior match in the past 12 months, a move to Schalke is a brilliant step for the Frenchman. His career needs reinvigorating.
To be able to do that in Germany’s top tier will delight the Celtic man. The Hoops are likely to make a loss on the £7million they paid Toulouse for the lofty defender in 2019. But they had to make a decision.
His contract at Celtic expires next summer and it was either let him go on a free, or cash in this summer. A loan-to-buy deal suggests that Celtic may have the power to trigger an extension.
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