Celtic Preparing Contract Talks With Star Centre-Back: A No-brainer?

Celtic managed to keep their territorial superiority intact last season as they clinched the domestic treble once again. Under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, the Celts have been unstoppable in Scotland and there is no denying that. However, they must try to make a mark in the Champions League in the coming seasons.

To do the same, Rodgers must ensure that he retains the key members in his squad and one such player is his centre-back, Dedryck Boyata. Boyata has entered the final year of his contract and thus, it is important that the former Liverpool boss ties him down to a new long-term deal. Besides, it has been reported that Lazio and Fulham have already queued up to make him sign on the dotted line thus forcing Rodgers’ hand.

Having emerged through the youth ranks of Brussels and Manchester City, Boyata hardly made an impact for the senior side of the latter. After loan spells with Bolton Wanderers and Twente, he was lured to the Celtic Park in the summer of 2015. Ever since his move, he engineered a notable position for himself at the back for the Hoops.

Boyata has had initial talks with the club prior to his involvement with the Belgian national side in Russia where he won the bronze medal. He made a decent impact on the grandest footballing stage and thus his stocks have understandably risen. Discussions are set to resume once he returns from his post-World Cup break as Celtic look to secure the future of the 27-year-old.

He is a physically strong defender and is a cool and composed player at the back. He has garnered adequate amount of experience under his belt and reads the attacking endeavours of the opposition in a meticulous fashion more often than not. Last season, he made 28 starts for the Bhoys in the Scottish Premiership which was eventually won by them and it will be difficult to replace someone like him considering that he is well-accustomed with Scottish football.

He has been with the club for three years and is a crucial member under the tutelage of Rodgers. Besides, he also made 5 starts in the Champions League and garnered 1.2 tackles, 2.4 interceptions, 7 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game on an average.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored