GREG TAYLOR will be able to walk away from Celtic in a couple of months’ time for FREE.
Unless there is a dramatic and unexpected turnaround, the defender who cost £2.1million from Kilmarnock in September 2019 will come out of contract and be allowed to move elsewhere.
Taylor and the Hoops hierarchy have been involved in negotiations on terms for most of the season, but have reached an impasse that will now see the left-back quit the champions.
The 27-year-old back-four performer also suffered an international setback when Steve Clarke left him out of his Scotland pool for the UEFA Nations League double-header against Greece, with the first leg in Piraeus this evening and the return due at Hampden on Sunday.
LAUGHING BHOYS…Callum McGregor and Greg Taylor celebrate the Premier Sports League Cup Final success over Rangers at Hampden in December.
Taylor, capped 14 times by his country, had been a regular in recent national squads.
With only eight league games and, hopefully, two in the Scottish Cup to play, it could be the player has made his last appearance for the club.
Taylor has not been seen since he was substituted at half-time at Easter Road last month with the Parkhead men trailing 2-0 to Hibs.
Crystal Palace loanee Jeffrey Schlupp took his place as the visitors rallied, pulled one back through Daizen Maeda and were then wrongly denied an equaliser seven minutes from time by the Japanese ace after an erroneous intervention by VAR official Alan Muir.
Taylor missed the next game, a 5-1 win over Aberdeen at Parkhead, with his wife going into labour and the new father has been an unused substitute in the last three games against St Mirren (5-2), Hibs (2-0) and Rangers (2-3).
Schlupp has been given the nod on all three occasions and scored his first goal for the club in the victory in Paisley.
PICK IT OUT…Jeffrey Schlupp fires in his first goal for Celtic as he nets the opener in the 5-2 victory over St Mirren in Paisley earlier this month.
The 32-year-old German-born Ghanian international is now the man in possession of the No.3 position and the Hoops will ramp up talks with the defender in an effort to make his stay in Glasgow permanent.
Kieran Tierney, of course, is on his way back from Arsenal after a six-year absence, but boss Rodgers will be looking for two strong competitors for the role.
Taylor’s time at Parkhead looks up and his next move will be intriguing.
Big-hearted Brendan may even allow the unsung hero a last hurrah in a Celtic shirt.
A lap of honour with a triumphant Scottish Cup-winning team at Hampden on Saturday May 24 has an appealing ring to it.
