Reo Hatate to Saudi answered as Celtic star's agent in emphatic response over transfer claim

Celtic standout Reo Hatate will not be moving to Saudi Arabia after his agent moved to emphatically shut down a money-spinning exit to the Middle East.

The 25-year-old has earned acclaim during his 18 months with the Treble winners and was linked overnight with a shock switch to Al Ittihad. But that will not be the next step for a player who earned admiring glances from English Premier League sides. His representative told him to journalist Ahmed Ragab "Reo is still in Europe. There is no chance of a move to the Saudi League."

Hatate previously stated: "If there is a chance to step up, I would like to play in various leagues. As a football player, I think everyone wants to play at a high level throughout the season. When I was in the J-League, I thought it was impossible to play in the five major leagues.

"However, because I was able to achieve a certain amount of results throughout the season with Celtic, I started to think that I would like to challenge myself next time. If there is a chance, I would like to take on the challenge. Of course, if I stay with this team, I can still have good experiences, and next season I will be in the Champions League. I think that by always standing at the top and fighting, I will be mentally stronger, so it would be nice if I stayed."

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