REO HATATE faces a nail-biting countdown to the transfer deadline while there are still massive question marks hanging over his Celtic future.
The Japanese midfielder, who still has two years to run on his contract, has publicly expressed a desire to perform in one of the top five European leagues.
Hatate’s hopes of moving to England in this window are fading with every minute as the opportunity of a shift across the border will end at 11pm this evening.
The playmaker was overlooked by Martin O’Neill for the run-in to last season’s dramatic double-winning climax as he was left out of the matchday squads for the Premiership decider against Hearts at Parkhead and Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.
FAREWELL…Reo Hatate is the picture of misery after Celtic’s Champions League Play-Off loss to LASK in Austria last week.
The Hoops won both matches 3-1 and Hatate was expected to leave early this summer.
However, he made two substitute appearances in the ill-fated Champions League Play-Offs against Austria LASK although he has failed to feature in domestic games.
Hatate wasn’t in the pool for the 2-1 home victory over Falkirk with boss O’Neill claiming the player had ruled himself out after sustaining an injury in training.
Quizzed on a potential departure even at this late stage, assistant manager Shaun Maloney, speaking to CelticPlayer, answered: “I think it’s possible, yes.
“I have watched Reo Hatate for a long time now.
“I have coached against him and I think he is a brilliant player. I think what he has done at the club has been really, really good. He has won many titles here.
“If he does go, I will personally miss him. I think he has been a brilliant player. If he does move on, then we will remember how good a player he was for this club.”
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