Celtic have reportedly opened contract talks with Joe Hart over a new deal. The former Manchester City star has been a key component of Celtic’s success over the last two seasons and
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Celtic have opened talks with the 36-year-old with a view to extending his stay at the club beyond this summer. With 114 appearances in over two years, Hart has helped Celtic towards five domestic trophies as well as appearing in the Group Stages of the UEFA Champions League twice.
Hart has been brilliant since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, bringing experience and quality to the dressing room. The game against Rangers at Ibrox is a recent reminder of the class that Hart brings, calming his defensive colleagues and guiding them through the game.
Celtic have been linked in recent weeks with Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin and Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher with a view to bringing in a younger goalkeeper that can hold down the No.1 jersey for the foreseeable future. It is shrewd that Celtic are looking to tie Hart down, probably with the 2020 summer window still fresh in the memory. Celtic had Craig Gordon’s contract expiring but allowed it to run down with the belief that Fraser Forster would return. Unfortunately, this resulted in both not coming back for the new season and the substantial outlay on Vasilis Barkas.
Hopefully a deal can be sorted quickly that will guarantee Hart’s future for another season, which would also allow the club to continue succession planning.
