GENT look set to offload Celtic legend Mikael Lustig following a frustrating season in Belgium for the Swedish international defender. Lustig is now 33 and left the Celtic last season following the Scottish Cup success that completed the Treble Treble at Hampden after failing to agree on the length of a new contract with the club.
Lustig, who was a fan favourite during his seven and a half years in Glasgow, has made just 14 starts in the league for Gent, with just two coming since the turn of the year.
The Scottish Sun is reporting that the right-back has been told to find a new club this summer and is considering a return to Sweden.
However, with Moritz Bauer’s loan deal expiring at Celtic Park and Jeremy Frimpong set to be the first pick right back next season, Neil Lennon might fancy bringing the popular defender back to Paradise for a season, to provide added squad experience for the historic ten-in-a-row campaign. And the other summer signing or the right back slot, Hatem Abd Elhamed has struggled for fitness in his first season in Glasgow after picking up several injuries over the course of the shortened campaign.
Lustig scored the goal that set Celtic on the way to 8IAR at Pittodrie in early May 2019 and followed that up with an outstanding assist for Odsonne Edouard to score the winner against Hearts – who had taken the lead early in the second half – in last season’s Scottish Cup Final.
Lustig recent spoke to Paul Cuddihy on zoom for Celtic TV and made it clear that Celtic remains very much in his thoughts, the the big Swede watching just about every Celtic game this season. He was scheduled to go to Euro 2020 this summer with Sweden but told the Celtic View Editor that he’d have to keep himself fit to be ready for that tournament next summer.
A final year in Paradise might suit both Celtic and Mikael Lustig, who would just love to be here for Ten-in-a-Row. It’s probably more likely that Mikael will end up back home in Sweden but stranger things have happened.
Here’s a little if what Mikael Lustig had to say to Celtic TV recently: “It’s been amazing this season. There are a lot of different players who’ve come in and they’ve been brilliant for the club, and to watch them play has been amazing for the whole season.
“I still talk with some of the guys and obviously I’m following every step that Celtic take. Scott’s a machine and he just keeps getting better. The thing with Broony is, if you see him in training every day, he’s always up there in every test, and he’s so fit. And he pushing 35 this year, but hopefully he can be there for another one or two years and be able to lift that 10-in-a-row!” before adding “I miss all of the fans so hopefully next year we can see each other again.”
