Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata has revealed he’s in talks over a contract extension but admitted he could still leave the club, reports The S*n.
The 27-year-old has left than 18 months remaining on his deal with the Scottish Champions and has failed to reach an agreement over an extension.
When asked, Boyata refused to offer assurances that he’ll remain at Parkhead, although the Belgium international admitted he’s enjoyed his time as a Celtic player.
The defender joined from Manchester City on a four-year contract back in 2015 and could well run down his deal to leave for free next year. He says he’s “not in a rush” to put pen to paper.
“We will see. I’m not in a rush. Of course, being there, it’s good. But I don’t know what is going to happen in the future.
“It doesn’t really depend on them or even me, we will just see what happens.
“At the moment, we are still talking about it. For the moment I am a Celtic player and I love Celtic. It’s a great team, I love to be there. Whatever happens next, we will see.
“But for the moment I cannot really say anything about it.”
Supporters who have watched error-strewn performances from the £14k-per-week man this season will wonder whether he is worth the hassle – Boyata struggled against Rangers recently.
Nevertheless, the Belgian has been the most reliable centre-back for Celtic, with Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko performing below-par for much of the campaign.
Boyata has made over 90 appearances in three years at Celtic but hasn’t not quite developed into the rock-solid centre-back many were expecting upon his arrival.