NEIL LENNON, the Celtic manager, has revealed he will not entertain any offers for Georgios Samaras after Hull City stepped up their interest in the Greek forward.
Steve Bruce, the Hull manager, watched Samaras in Celtic's Champions League win over Ajax last week and is thought to be weighing up a bid for the player when the transfer window opens in January.
Samaras is out of contract next summer but has indicated he would be keen to extend his stay at Celtic Park.
Lennon expects Fraser Forster's exceptional performances in Europe this season to lead to the goalkeeper moving to England in the near future but, after losing Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and Kelvin Wilson in the summer, the Celtic manager is determined to hang on to as many of his key players as possible. Cardiff City have been told any interest in James Forrest will be rebuffed, while Lennon was equally as adamant when it came to Samaras' future.
"Georgios is very important to us," he said. "He is quite unique in the way he plays and obviously we would like to get him tied down for a considerable period of time."
Samaras, who scored his 70th goal for Celtic in Sunday's 2-1 win over Partick Thistle, had previously said he hoped a new contract could be agreed soon. "I am fully committed to Celtic," said the Greek. "I've had six years here and they have given me this. I feel important and well within myself with the club, the city and the fans.
"I am almost 13 years away from my home country and, trust me, it is not easy to be away from family and friends for so long. But even in the tough periods, I feel Celtic Park and the club is my home. Both of the sides want me to stay and, in the end, there will be a solution."
Lennon said Cardiff have little chance of signing Forrest in January. Malky Mackay, the former Celtic player now managing the Welsh club, is thought to be an admirer of the winger but Lennon warned he would be disappointed if he tried to make a move for the 22 year-old.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if other clubs were looking at James because he is a brilliant player," he added. "But he signed a long-term contract 18 months ago. We are months and months away from the window - he is not for sale.
"I don't know if people are trying to unsettle players here. It's as if everyone wants me to sell a player every month - people talked about Virgil van Dijk, Scott Brown, Fraser Forster and now James. These players are not going anywhere.
"We are in a very stable position as a club and that is something which is a rarity in this day and age. The players are happy, vibrant and we have a lot to look forward to. We are on a great run domestically and we're in a hell of a group in the Champions League where we have competed brilliantly in all three games."
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