Opinion: Don't expect returning Celtic talent to feature for first-team

It seems that Celtic left-back Boli Bolingoli will soon be returning to the Hoops. The Glasgow Times reports that his loan move to Russian side FC Ufa has been cancelled as they have been unable to obtain a work permit for the player’s transfer, and as a result he will be returning to Celtic Park.

Due to the current situation involving Russia, there was always a chance that the move could fall through, and Bolingoli now has to return to Glasgow.

Bolingoli’s days at Celtic Park have been numbered since he broke Covid curfew rules to travel to Spain back in August 2020.

The 26-year-old has made two appearances for Celtic this season, but you have to imagine that unless the Hoops suffer a left-back injury crisis he is unlikely to play for the club again.

Bolingoli has three players ahead of him in the Celtic squad that can play at left-back: Greg Taylor, Josip Juranovic and Liam Scales. Unless those three players are all unavailable at once in the last few weeks of the season – which seems highly unlikely – then Bolingoli will not be a part of the Celtic squad that is trying to win the domestic treble.

It is even unlikely that Bolingoli will be on the bench for the Hoops, as aside from his two starts against Livingston and Motherwell, he has been an unused substitute for Celtic on just six occasions this season.

What Celtic should probably focus on now is finding a new club for the full-back. When Bolingoli signed for Celtic in the summer of 2019, it was announced that he had signed a four-year deal. So as it stands he still has over a year left on his contract.

Perhaps if a new club can’t be found for Bolingoli, then he and Celtic could come to an arrangement between both parties which would see his contract terminated.

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