NIR BITTON is on the brink of joining Celtic’s summer exodus.
The versatile Israel international, who still has two years on his Hoops deal, could be heading home with Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv both linked with the player.
Bitton has already seen his countryman Hatem Abd Elhamed quit the fallen champions during the January transfer window.
The right-back rejoined Be’er Sheva for a cut-price £800,000 after Neil Lennon had paid £1.2million for him in July 2019.
IT TAKES TWO…Nir Bitton and Ryan Christie celebrate a goal against Livingston in January.
Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong also exited Parkhead at the same time in a £11.8million switch to Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen and Polish striker Patryk Klimala joined MLS club New York Red Bulls for £3.5million last month.
There will be a massive overhaul of the playing staff during the pre-season and 29-year-old Bitton, who arrived in a £700,000 deal in 2013 from Ashdod, could be another on the move, according to a report in the Scottish Sun.
The utility star’s season has been disrupted by Covid and injury and he has become a peripheral figure in recent campaigns.
He may find himself surplus to requirements when the new manager arrives and that could open the door to a return to Israel.
