John Hartson thinks Celtic’s Dedryck Boyata could ask for £100,000-a-week deal

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Dedryck Boyata is being heavily linked with a move away from Celtic this summer.

John Hartson has told the Evening Times that Dedryck Boyata will feel entitled to ask for a contract worth £100,000-a-week this summer, leaving Celtic with absolutely no chance of keeping him.

Boyata is out of contract at Parkhead at the end of the season, and The Scottish Sun reported that he is closing in on a free transfer to Hertha Berlin, with the German club set to hand the Belgian a pay rise.

But while The Scottish Sun’s report suggests that that would leave Boyata earning £40,000-a-week, Hartson made a comparison with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and suggested that he could feel entitled to ask for more than twice that amount given what he is likely to save his next club in a transfer fee.

“Boyata’s agent will have been making full use of the fact his client can leave on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of next month,” he told the Evening Times. “Let’s say he is worth £10m in the current market. Clubs will be prepared to give him that in wages because they can bring him in for free. So Boyata can ask for £100,000-a-week or even more and get it. Celtic can’t compete with that.

“It is similar to what Aaron Ramsey is doing at Arsenal just now. He will leave the Emirates for nothing in the summer and go onto a ridiculous contract at Juventus. It is the reality of modern football.”

Boyata, at his best, is the best centre-back that Celtic have on their books. But given his inconsistency throughout his Parkhead spell, there will probably be plenty of Hoops supporters who will not believe some of the numbers being thrown about.

Of course, losing him on a free would be a disappointment, especially with the Evening Times reporting that Fulham offered £9 million for the former Manchester City youngster last summer.

But to suggest that Celtic could not replace Boyata – and pay significantly less than £100,000 or even £40,000-a-week – would be a major overreaction. And finally bringing an end to the uncertainty over his future will also prove beneficial to the Bhoys with Boyata’s situation proving to be a talking point for much of the last 12 months.