The 22-year-old is linked with a move away from Celtic.
John Hartson has told The Glasgow Evening Times that he believes Celtic could sanction Olivier Ntcham’s exit this month – if Scott Brown indicates that he is staying.
O Jogo in Portugal have reported that the Celtic midfielder is ‘determined’ to leave Parkhead, amid speculation about a move to Porto.
Ntcham, a £4.5 million signing from Manchester City in the summer of 2017, has struggled for regular football since November after losing his place to Ryan Christie during an injury.
Brown, who turns 34 in June, is heavily linked with a move away from the Hoops.
Celtic have reportedly offered the tenacious captain a two-year extension in light of speculation over a switch to Australia.
And Hartson feels that manager Brendan Rodgers could greenlight Ntcham’s exit if it transpires that Brown is sticking around.
“I also think that if there is a genuine offer for Olivier Ntcham that, if Brown has offered an assurance that he is staying at the club, that Celtic might well allow the midfielder to go,” he told The Glasgow Evening Times.
“I think he is a quality player. He really looked the part when he first came in and at £4.5m it was a fabulous bit of business.
“But if Porto want him as much as they appear to then it could be that the club allow him to go.”
Ntcham, despite losing his place, is a brilliant talent and aged just 22 years old, he’ll get much better.
As good as Brown has been, Celtic absolutely shouldn’t automatically sell Ntcham if the captain stays. This is a player who could be worth a fortune in two or three years if he continues to develop under Rodgers, and the Northern Irishman will know that.
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