DEDRYCK BOYATA’S future is up in the air after his agent, Jacques Lichtenstein, said he wouldn’t risk a move by playing for Celtic and turned up at their Lennoxtown training ground to demand a meeting with Brendan Rodgers.
The Belgian defender sat out of yesterday’s defeat to Hearts with a reported back injury, but Lichtenstein admitted that his client’s state of mind after Celtic turned down an offer from Fulham played a part in his absence.
“Despite Dedryck’s love for Celtic fans, he cannot put his future and his family’s future in danger by playing without being 100 percent,” Lichtenstein said.
“Dedryck is disappointed because he was made promises that have not been kept.
“Being angry at someone is one thing, being disappointed is even more serious. It’s easy to say to give up and move forward but it’s a blow to the mind.
“A Serie A club has asked for a meeting with Celtic, who does not agree.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he has taken calls personally from Italy, with Roma among the parties still interested in signing the 27-year-old.
But Rodgers is disappointed by the way the player’s agent is handling the situation.
“Dedryck’s agent turned up [on Friday] at the training ground,” said Rodgers. “The day before the game the training ground is closed.
“He wanted to speak to me at 10 o’clock. I’ve got a meeting with players at half past 10 concentrating on this game and I said I couldn’t meet him before, but I’d meet him after training once I’d done my work. Obviously when I came back after training he wasn’t there.
Rodgers concedes that he can’t be certain if Boyata will be mentally or physically ready to play any part in Tuesday night’s Champions League qualifier second-leg against AEK Athens.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “It is difficult for a player.”
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