Lennoxtown source claims Celtic want to get rid of 'inexplicable' £19k-p/w man - report

Celtic are keen on offloading unwanted goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas in the summer transfer window, according to a new report which has emerged.

The Hoops have enjoyed an excellent season to date, still being in pole position to seal Premiership glory, having already won the Scottish League Cup.

Barkas hasn’t played much of a part in proceedings, though, with the 27-year-old appearing just once in the league so far in 2021/22. Last summer, goalkeeping coach Derek Soutar branded some of the Greek’s mistakes as “inexplicable“.

A fresh report suggests that the £19k-per-week stopper’s time at Parkhead may be reaching its natural conclusion.

According to Football Insider, Barkas is free to leave Celtic this summer, with his current contract expiring in 2024.

The Hoops are instead looking for a ‘new senior goalkeeper’ to come in and replace the Greek, with a Lennoxtown source saying they want to offload him permanently, even if it is at a significant loss on their initial £4.5m investment.

This makes perfect sense for Celtic, with Barkas’ contract situation also meaning that they could receive a fee for him, rather than losing him on a free transfer.

He has only managed 24 appearances for the club in two years and has never been able to oust Joe Hart as first-choice between the sticks this season, so it does seem time for him to move on.

Bringing in a superior ‘keeper as competition for Hart, or maybe even a long-term replacement for the English veteran, would help to make competition for places even stronger in Ange Postecoglou’s squad moving forward.

In other news, another Celtic transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

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