Celtic are ready to sanction the departure of central defender Christopher Jullien, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The lowdown: Injury woes
Signed for a reported £7million from Toulouse in 2019 (BBC), Jullien had been a superb servant to the Hoops since arriving in Glasgow.
The 29-year-old was a leading figure in the side that won a memorable domestic treble in 2019/20 before a wretched run of injuries curtailed his career at Celtic Park.
Despite returning to fitness recently, Jullien is some way behind Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt as Ange Postecoglou’s preferred centre-back partnership and as such a move away could now be imminent…
The latest: ‘Flown out’
Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that the Frenchman is finalising a move to Schalke.
He stated: “Schalke are set to sign Christopher Jullien from Celtic. Done deal and medical ongoing right now – gonna be loan deal with buy option included. Contract to be signed later today, right after medical tests.”
The 6 foot 3 giant, who was once hailed by journalist Josh Bunting for an ‘outstanding’ display against Lazio in 2019 in which he won seven aerial duels, made three interceptions and 12 clearances (Sofascore) could seemingly be confirmed as a Schalke player within a matter of hours.
The verdict: Right time
Albeit Jullien certainly still has plenty to offer at the top level – Bunting wasn’t the only fan of his – as things stand Celtic cannot offer the regularity of action that the Frenchman desires and should instead be looking towards Lennoxtowan and academy graduates such as Stephen Welsh to take a step up in their development next season.
Still valued at £4.05million and in the final 12 months of a deal at Parkhead (Transfermarkt), the Hoops’ hierarchy will be hoping to recoup a decent chunk of their initial outlay by agreeing a loan-to-buy fee now rather than losing him for free next year.
Furthermore, a senior member of the Bhoys squad, Jullien’s seemingly imminent departure will free up an additional £20,000 per week from the wage bill (Salary Sport), an important factor given the ever-rising costs of attracting such high calibre players as Carter-Vickers and Jota this summer.
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