Mikael Lustig is out of contract with Celtic this summer.
John Hartson has told The Glasgow Evening Times that he still wants Mikael Lustig at Celtic, but suggested he needs to be replaced in the first XI.
Lustig’s long-term future at Celtic is a subject of debate at the moment.
The 32-year-old Sweden defender is out of contract at Parkhead this summer, though Neil Lennon has made him a first-team regular again since replacing Brendan Rodgers, who was using right-back Jeremy Toljan after signing him on loan in January.
A director for Swedish side AIK confirmed touching base with Lustig earlier this month [Fotboll Direkt], pouring further doubt on whether he’d be in Glasgow next season.
The veteran right-back, who earns £24,000 per week in Scotland [The Daily Star], is a big player for Lennon, but former Celtic hitman Hartson wants his former team-mate to sign a long-term replacement and yet keep Lustig at the club nevertheless.
He told The GET: “To my mind, Celtic need bodies through the door this summer, and it is clear that at 32, Lustig is not the long-term solution in his position.
“I would like to see a younger, first-choice right-back brought in, but I do wonder if Celtic may see the value in keeping Lustig around.”
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