New contracts for some but not all

Matt O’Riley had recently turned 21 when he joined Celtic from MK Dons in January 2022.  He was an immediate success, before form shaded a tad, in particular when Ange Postecoglou varied midfield combinations.

This season he has started all five competitive games, with performances eclipsing anything seen before.  He is still young with plenty of improvement potential, so it’s no surprise Celtic have opened talks to extend his contract beyond its current 2026 date.

With Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo all in receipt of recent contract renewals, and negotiations underway with Matt and Reo Hatate, it’s clear the club have decided wage levels needed to rise to head-off disruption.

All good and well but there’s one noticeable absence from these names.  Concerns about his fitness will exist until we hear the club have offered a new deal to the big guy.