Celtic are in discussions with Reo Hatate’s agent about extending his contract with the team, according to Brendan Rodgers.
Since going to Scotland in January 2022, the midfielder has had a significant influence, quickly establishing himself in the team and growing into a key player with Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley.
Hatate currently has a contract that runs until May 2026, but if he were to extend it by another year, he would be eligible for a hefty pay raise.
The manager is in charge of contract negotiations, and CEO Michael Nicholson is the driving force behind signing players to longer deals.
When questioned about the midfielder’s alleged new contract, Rodgers responded:
“That hasn’t been made clear to me. In fairness to the club, I know that they have been contacting the agent for quite some time. I’ll talk to Michael (Nicholson) later. But at this time, I’m not sure where it is.”
Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Stephen Welsh, and Tony Ralston have all signed extended contracts since Rodgers took over as Callum McGregor’s manager.
It is obviously crucial to reward and keep players who have made an impact and brought championships to the club, especially after losing Jota and Carl Starfelt over the summer and finding it difficult to find players of a similar caliber to sign.
Jota’s sale proves that even players with long-term contracts can be sold when the price is right, despite the fact that the circumstances surrounding it were exceptional.
