Celtic are not currently pursuing a permanent deal for AC Milan loanee Diego Laxalt, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. 

The lowdown

The Uruguay defender joined Celtic at the start of October and went on to make 26 appearances for the club, his only goal coming in the 2-2 draw away to Hibernian in November. He played every minute under interim boss John Kennedy in the Premiership.

Whilst there was no option to buy contained in the loan agreement, Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb reported in March that Celtic were keen to sign him long-term. A separate report from Il Milanista claimed that Laxalt would be available for €8m (£6.8m).

Back in November, Neil Lennon hailed the Uruguay international as a 'superb asset' and an 'excellent addition', saying that he was 'absolutely delighted' with the 28-year-old's efforts up to that point.

The latest

It looks as if Laxalt's future lies away from Glasgow. The report confirmed that he would return to AC Milan, who remain open to offers.

Turkish champions Besiktas and Champions League quarter-finalists Porto have made enquiries about his price tag, with Di Marzio adding that 'an offer will arrive soon' for the left-back.

The verdict

Ultimately, Laxalt simply isn't worth the kind of figures being discussed - a £6.8m deal would make him the seventh-most expensive signing in Celtic's history.

The defender drew criticism from some supporters for a few of his displays in Glasgow, while WhoScored's metrics ranked him a lowly 18th among the Hoops' squad for his performances throughout the season.

They shouldn't consider that kind of outlay on a player like Laxalt, with Champions League group stage football yet to be secured and with more pressing concerns to address as part of their rebuild.

In other news, Celtic may need to spend a decent chunk on replacing this star.