CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN, the most expensive defender in Celtic history, is about to bring down the curtain on his rollercoaster three years at Parkhead.
The French centre-back, who cost £7million when Neil Lennon signed him from Toulouse in June 2019, looks to be on his way back to his homeland with Montpellier his likely destination.
Jullien celebrated his first season at the club by winning a league title while scoring the only goal of the Betfred League Cup Final against Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side only six months after his record-breaking arrival.
HAMPDEN HERO…Christopher Jullien sidefoots in the Betfred League Cup winner in December 2019 with Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and James Forrest looking on.
The towering back-four performer picked up a third medal when he played in the delayed Scottish Cup Final penalty-kick shoot-out victory over Hearts on December 20 2020 to complete the phenomenal quadruple treble.
However, disaster struck just 10 days later when he collided with a goal post in a 3-0 Premiership win over Dundee United at Parkhead. Surgery on a compicated knee injury kept the French ace sidelined for a lengthy period.
Jullien made a 12-minute cameo appearance – his first for 18 months – in the 4-0 Scottish Cup win over Raith Rovers on February 13 this year.
SILVERWARE SUPERSTAR…Christopher Jullien holds aloft the newly-won League Cup at Hampden in 2019.
However, that brief glimpse was his only competitive outing for Ange Postecoglou and he dropped further down the first-team pecking order when Moritz Jenz agreed a season-long loan switch from Lorient.
The player, who was involved in the 10-day pre-season warm-up in Austria, was also behind Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt and Stephen Welsh in the list for a place in the middle of the champions’ rearguard.
He saw a loan move to Bundesliga club 04 Schalke collapse at the start of last month following a financial hitch.
DOWN AND OUT…the beginning of the end for Christopher Jullien after his collision with a goal post in the 3-0 league win over Dundee United at Parkhead on December 30 2020.
Jullien, with less than a year left on his current deal, didn’t train with his team-mates at the weekend after being given permission to talk with an interested club, according to a report in the Daily Express.
His representative denied that revelation, but reports then emerged from France that the centre-back is due to have a medical with Montpellier today.
The 29-year-old star could now finally cut his ties with Celtic and all at CQN and legions of Hoops fans wish the popular defender bonne chance in his future career.
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