Celtic have no intention of letting Reo Hatate leave amid reports of transfer interest from Brazil
Celtic have made it clear that they want to keep hold of a star with more than 170 appearances for the club
Scottish champions Celtic are adamant that Reo Hatate still has a big role to play this season despite intriguing reports of interest from a club in Brazil.
Hatate joined Celtic in January 2022 from Tokyo-based outfit Kawasaki Frontale and instantly became an important part of Ange Postecoglou’s team for the next 18 months before the 60-year-old’s decision to depart for a new opportunity in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Japanese international continued to feature heavily under Brendan Rodgers after his return to Parkhead and is still thought to have a key role to play in the coming months under interim boss Martin O’Neill, who returned to Celtic for the second time this season after Wilfried Nancy’s short-lived and hugely unsuccessful tenure in Glasgow.
Hatate expected to remain with Celtic despite interest
Hatate has helped Celtic win four Premiership titles and a further four cups since arriving from the J League. However, he liked a number of the Hoops’ more experienced stars, has found this season challenging.
He’s currently behind both Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren in the pecking order, and despite still getting some first team minutes, hasn’t started a league match since 10 January.
His influence appears to be gradually fading amid reports from Football Insider which claim the 28-year-old was recently offered to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in January through intermediaries.
The Sao Paulo-based outfit are reported to have rejected the chance to continue negotiations at this stage.
Celtic make stance clear on midfielder
Celtic are nine points behind Hearts in the title race with two matches in hand still to play. They’ve shown plenty more positives since O’Neill returned to steady the ship and showcased their ambition earlier this month by rejecting approaches by Arne Engels as they aim to keep their squad intact until the summer.
Hatate has made a combined total of 176 matches for Celtic and has proven he can contribute historically with 32 goals and 31 assists. He managed a career best in a season of 11 across all competitions last season but hasn’t quite hit the same numbers with five across all competitions having not scored in the league since August.
Nevertheless his experience of being in title run-ins makes him a valuable asset and if he performs to his full potential it’s still very feasible that he could finish the campaign as a first team regular.
Hatate remains under contract until 2028 having signed a five-year extension in 2023. This leaves the club in a strong position to keep him for the foreseeable future.