Celtic fringe star chased by Euro trio with duo set to depart amid O’Neill admission on wantaway midfielder

A long-term target for former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the DR Congo international signed for a reported £5million last summer, penning a five-year deal at Parkhead. However, he struggled to make an impression in his debut campaign, making just seven league appearances last season.

Not included in the Celtic squad for any of their opening three games, he appears to have no future under current manager Martin O’Neill, with reports claiming that Balikwisha will be allowed to leave the club this summer if a suitable offer is made. His last competitive appearance came in the 2-0 Scottish Cup win over Auchinleck Talbot in February.

Sign up to The Scotsman’s daily football newsletter to get unrivalled Scottish football news and analysis - subscribe for free here.

Earlier this week, 74-year-old manager O’Neill said: “There has been interest, but nothing that Balikwisha will be wanting to do at this moment. I am hoping that at some stage or another, if nothing materialises, he would get opportunities. But I cannot promise that. I said to him in my first spell that the next manager coming in might want him. And then he was disappointed when the next manager was me.”

The Congolese player is understood to have interest from Elversberg, Monza, and Basel this summer, with the trio mulling over an offer to end Balikwisha’s disappointing time at Celtic ahead of the September 3 deadline. According to Belgian transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, all the sides have scouted the player, who he claims has been “a victim of O'Neill's tactical approach”. However, there’s no clear favourite for his signature.

Elsewhere, the veteran boss admits that he would be happy for Reo Hatate for remain at the club beyond the transfer deadline, despite the Japanese midfielder ‘s admission that he is looking to move to a top five club. The 28-year-old has interest from Panathinaikos alongside clubs in the MLS and the Austrian Bundesliga. “I think there are a number of tentative enquiries,” O’Neill said when asked about Hatate’s future. “Nothing has come up that is beneficial to him or the club. But that might change. If it did not change I would be happy.”

One player who does look likely to leave Celtic in the coming days is youngster Thomas Hatton, with the 20-year-old close to joining Ayr United on a season-long loan deal. The winger is contracted until the summer of 2028, and impressed against AC Milan in the club’s pre-season campaign, with O’Neill saying: “He's prepared to take people on. I think that's like a dying art, which is great. He'll get all the encouragement in the world. I was really impressed with him.”

However, with first-team opportunities currently limited, Celtic will now allow him to depart on loan to the Scottish Championship. Currently second in the second tier under new head coach Gary Naysmith, the Honest Men have enjoyed a strong start to their league season, but were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup 3-2 by rivals Kilmarnock last Friday. Hatton’s teammate Kyle Ure, who spent time on loan at Ayr United last season, is also expected to depart on loan once again this season, with EFL League Two side Crewe Alexandra favourites for his signature.