This one would be an odd decision from a Celtic Board known for their awareness of the fact every action can have repercussions further down the line.

The Daily Record is reporting Celtic are willing to reach a settlement to bring Vasilis Barkas’ contract to an early conclusion – okay they us the term ‘ripping up’ but that’s just for dramatic effect, like the use of ‘war chest’ when they describe the transfer budget.

In fact, it would be great if that chest was delivered up the Celtic way with trumpets, flags and fanfare as the summer transfer budget was delivered to Ange Postecoglou every season. We could all make a day of it, get a few selfies etc.

Anyway, I digress. Here’s what the Record via Sporsdog had to say regarding Barkas contract”

‘Outcast Vasilis Barkas will have his nightmare spell at Celtic brought and end this summer. The 28-year-old has failed to hold down a regular spot in the Parkhead starting line-up after following a £5 million move from AEK Athens in the summer of 2020.

‘Under Ange Postecoglou the stopper has barely featured and slipped down the pecking order to third choice at Celtic Park with Joe Hart and Scott Bain holding the top two positions. Time appears to be up at Parkhead as reports in Greece claims the club are willing to cut their losses this summer.

Barkas is contract until 2026 and Sportdog state that the club are weighing up “ripping up” his contract to offload his salary.’

26th December 2021; McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scotland; Scottish Premier League football, St Johnstone versus Celtic; Vasilis Barkas of Celtic warms up

Now the Record report Barkas is on a deal until 2026 and cost £5m when we bought the ‘keeper from AEK Athens two years ago, yet Transfermrkt have the contract expiring in the summer of 2024, and the fee as £500k less than reported in the Record. Minor details I’m sure – unless you are ‘ripping up’ a contract and paying a player off, that extra two years could then look like mischief making rather than an accident, but hey that’s just a wee opinion.

The strange thing with this is if Celtic want to offload the player and can’t sell him then there is surely the option of a couple of loan deals over the next two seasons. With a fee attached and some of Barkas wages covered while he’s at PAOK or back with AEK, then some money coming in makes more sense, rather than agreeing a severance package at this stage.

And the other side of this is the message it sends out. You know how it goes, agents get wind of a cancelling of a contract and they all want a bit of it – Bolingoli, Ajeti, Jullien – if it’s good enough for Vasilis Barkas then why not for my client?

And once the message is out there every expensive signing mistake refuses to go on loan, knocks back transfer offers and waits for the opportunity to walk out the door with a chunk of the managers transfer war chest in their back pocket, and able to negotiate a better deal with a new club, with no transfer fee to consider and therefore a better signing on fee and possibly even a heftier weekly wage at the new place of work.

If Vasilis Barkas had six months – or at a push a year – on his deal I could see the merit in this story. With two years- or four if you believe the Record- it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Indeed, it wouldn’t surprise me if this little nugget originated from someone representing the player, an interested club, or both, rather than a decision Celtic are anywhere close to considering.

Or maybe not…

As it stands, Celtic have no plans to let Vasilis Barkas leave as a free agent. They will wait and see for any offers. 2021-22 season, Barkas had only 2 appearances with the Champions of Scotland@CelticFC #Celtic #CelticFC #Barkas

— Giannis Chorianopoulos (@choria80) June 4, 2022

Niall J