Celtic reportedly have until the end of the season to make a decision over the future of on-loan defender Moritz Jenz.

The Lowdown: Celtic's move for Jenz

The Premiership champions signed the German on a season-long loan deal from Lorient and have an option to purchase him on a permanent basis. Since then, the 23-year-old has gone on to make 19 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, scoring two goals in the process.

With the January transfer window set to open next week, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged surrounding the player and his status at Celtic.

The Latest: Celtic's timeframe for Jenz decision

According to a recent report from Football Scotland, the Hoops have until the end of the season to decide whether or not to sign Jenz on a permanent deal.

The report also contradicts recent claims suggesting that a decision would need to be made in January, stating that Celtic actually have until the summer to make a call on the defender's future at Parkhead.

The Verdict: Good for Celtic

Even though the centre-back has only appeared in one of Celtic's last five league games, Jenz has shown his defensive capabilities in Glasgow.

For example, he currently has the fourth-highest number of interceptions (11) at the club, along with the joint-third highest number of successful tackles (10). In addition, the German has the fourth-highest average of clearances per game (2.3) in Ange Postecoglou's squad and the fourth-highest pass success percentage (90.7%), showing how capable he is both in and out of possession.

Taking all of thar into account, we feel that, depending on the financial aspects of signing him outright, Jenz has done enough to warrant a permanent move to Celtic once his current loan deal concludes.

However, given the incoming arrival of Yuki Kobayashi, this extra competition for a place in the starting XI could make it harder for Jenz to regain his spot in the team moving forward.