Martin O'Neill has not shut the door on Reo Hatate's Celtic future. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "There have been [transfer] enquiries, but nothing definitive. That may well happen. If Reo wants to stay and battle for his place in the team and says he's capable of doing it, I have no problem with that."

Hatate still has two years left on his Celtic contract, so any sale would be about timing and valuation rather than pressure from the calendar. Panathinaikos have targeted him and he is among their top summer targets, which is why his name has stayed in play.

Hatate's place in the team

O'Neill's more telling line came when he said Hatate has "dropped down the pecking order at this moment". The manager also said: "What I would love Reo to do is get back to the form he showed a couple of years ago when he was one of the best players in Scotland."

The numbers around Hatate back up the selection problem. He has not started a game since the 2-0 defeat at Dundee United in April, and he has been an unused substitute in every outing so far this season. That is the sort of spell that invites transfer talk, especially when a club is weighing whether to cash in or keep a squad option.

Celtic's midfield squeeze

Celtic's own business has added another layer. Arne Engels completed his £22million move to West Ham at the weekend, and O'Neill admitted it would have been nice to keep him for the next couple of games because of his knowledge of the squad and role.

He added that someone else will have to fill the gap, and named Lask Linz's Mika Baur as one possibility while making clear he is still getting to know the team. Celtic have won their last five, so the immediate pressure is not forcing the issue, but the midfield is lighter than it was a week ago.

Hatate's situation is still open, but the key facts have not changed: enquiries are active, no deal is definitive, and Celtic are looking at a player who has not started since April with Panathinaikos among the clubs watching closely.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →