Celtic Ready To Sell £10m Player Who Lost His Place: Right Decision From The Scottish Champions? | OneFootball

According to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, Celtic have already positioned themselves to accept an offer for Reo Hatate this summer. The Glasgow club view this window as their finest opportunity to generate a fee for the 28-year-old Japan international, who now enters the final two years of his contract. Sources close to the club indicate that Celtic’s hierarchy has moved on from Hatate in their long-term thinking, and they will not stand in his way once a suitable bid arrives.

Celtic set to offload Japanese star in summer clear-out

His drop from the squad is striking. He failed to start a single match after the Scottish Premiership split and was absent entirely from both the title decider against Hearts and the Scottish Cup Final victory. That absence told the full story without a word being spoken.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 10: Reo Hatate of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on May 10, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Though Hatate contributed 14 goal involvements and also starred in Champions League football during the 2024-25 campaign under Brendan Rodgers, this season saw him manage just four contributions from 19 starts. Martin O’Neill gradually phased him to the margins, and Transfermarkt currently values the midfielder at around €10m.

Why must Celtic take the money and move forward?

This is a moment Celtic simply cannot afford to misread. A footballer heading into the last two years of his deal, visibly displaced by his own manager in the biggest fixtures of the season, carries diminishing leverage on both sides. Celtic need to act decisively before that value erodes further.

What should Celtic do after a Hatate exit?

Selling Hatate generates funds that Celtic must redirect into a fresher, younger central midfield option with a higher ceiling. That is the only responsible course. Holding onto a player who no longer features in the manager’s biggest selections is not loyalty; it is a waste. The Parkhead club have done this well before, turning exits into smart recruitment cycles. Now they must do it again, because standing still while rivals invest is how the title runs quietly to an end.