Nir Bitton could be leaving Celtic for Espanyol this summer.
Celtic’s Nir Bitton (R) celebrates scoring
Espanyol sporting director Angel Gomez has been quoted by the Daily Mail as saying that he is talking about a deal for Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton.
Bitton, 24, joined Celtic from FC Ashdod back in the summer of 2013, with the 6ft 5in midfielder brought in to replace Victor Wanyama, who had been sold that summer to Southampton.
The Israeli international struggled to establish himself under then-manager Neil Lennon, and made just 20 appearances for the Bhoys before flourishing under Lennon’s successor Ronny Deila.
Bitton quickly became a key part of the Celtic side under Deila, forming a superb midfield partnership with Scott Brown whilst impressing with his defensive ability in front of the back four as well as his passing, composure in possession and even his ability to score the occasional thunderbolt from range.
Those displays have made Bitton a wanted man, and he even signed a new contract with Celtic until 2020 back in November 2015 – but new manager Brendan Rodgers could still lose the giant midfielder.
The Daily Mail report that La Liga side Espanyol are looking to sign Bitton this summer, and could offer up to £6m to try and prise Bitton away from Celtic Park in what would be a major coup for new manager Quique Sanchez Flores.
Now, Espanyol’s sporting director Angel Gomez has been quoted as saying that he thinks Bitton is a ‘good midfielder’, and he is talking about a move for the player – but has yet to submit a formal offer to Celtic.
“We know him well, he is a good midfielder,” said Gomez. “But, at the moment, there is no offer – just talking. He’s just one of many players we are collecting information about,” he added.
Losing Bitton would be a major blow for new boss Rodgers, and many Celtic fans would surely feel that the player is worth far more than the £6m fee being talked about.
With Espanyol seemingly looking at other players, Celtic could still keep hold of Bitton, and after losing Virgil van Dijk last summer, fans won’t want to see another key man walk away this time around.
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