Sporting director says he will not sign on-loan Hoops star
Jordy Zuidam, FC Utrecht’s sporting director, has stated that the club are financially unable to sign Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the Eredivisie official revealed that the Dutch side are unable to sign Barkas on a permanent basis despite being one of the division’s best goalkeepers this season. The Greece international kept seven clean sheets in 21 games for Utrecht.
Zuidam said of Barkas’ signing: “We have to talk about realistic purchase options. A club like FC Utrecht, which cannot afford huge transfer fees, has to be creative. By lending players first, we buy time. Vasilis Barkas will return to Celtic and he is too expensive for FC Utrecht.”
Widely regarded as one of the worst Celtic transfers in recent years, Barkas has been firmly replaced by Joe Hart at Celtic since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou, with the 28-year-old likely to be sold for good in the summer despite Utrecht’s ruling in that year a change for the goalkeeper.
With 18 months left on his Celtic contract, the Hoops could be in a strong position to sell Barkas when the goalkeeper returns from Utrecht, with interest in signing the Greece international likely to be high given the goalkeeper’s performances in Holland will be season.
Although Utrecht have no intention of signing Barkas, the goalkeeper’s stock has grown so much that the 28-year-old’s return to Celtic could actually be an advantage for the Hoops, who can now name their price for the Dutch-born player.
Utrecht not signing Barkas could be huge for Celtic
The Scottish Premiership transfer boom has been huge for the likes of Celtic and with Utrecht now announcing their intention not to sign Barkas in the summer, the goalkeeper will soon return to Glasgow with a rating as high as ever against the SPL titans.
While Celtic may still struggle to break even for Barkas, many top sides could be ready to meet the Hoops’ new demands on the Greece international given the goalkeeper’s current contract situation with the Scottish side and his impressive year at Utrecht , factors that could all culminate in a move at the end of the season.
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