Celtic have decided to terminate the contract of Olivier Ntcham a year early, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The 25-year-old has been at Marseille since January on a loan-to-buy deal that led to Andre Villas-Boas quitting as manager.
A Celtic source has now told Football Insider that the club have no plans to welcome Ntcham back into the fold and have made the shock decision to let him go for nothing.
The Frenchman has been told he will be a free agent from next month as the Scottish giants sever all ties.
Celtic have exploited a contract loophole in the four-year contract Ntcham signed in November 2018.
The Hoops announced during his second season in Glasgow that the midfielder had signed a new contract that runs until the summer of 2022.
However, Celtic have the option to terminate the last year and absolve themselves of the requirement to pay the player’s wages.
The manager-less club have opted to do so, and it means that Ntcham will be able to join a new club on a free transfer this summer.
He has just completed a troubled loan at Marseille, who had an option to buy him at the end of the season for a fee of £4.5million.
But they have chosen not to do so as he has made just three starts among six appearances for Marseille since his January arrival.
The exit of Ntcham will baffle many supporters who have admired a genuine talent since he joined from Manchester City in July 2017 for £4.5million.
He has made 147 appearances for Celtic, which have yielded 24 goals and 13 assists from midfield.
https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-celtic-terminate-contract-of-ntcham-in-shock-move/