Celtic shun Nakamura move talk
Celtic will be hoping the latest round of speculation concerning Shunsuke Nakamura’s future blows over as quickly as the last.
However, whereas former Parkhead boss Martin O’Neill was quick to rubbish talk of signing Nakamura for Aston Villa earlier this month, the latest suggestion that a £1m get-out clause might exist in the Japan midfielder’s contract is proving difficult to shake off.
Celtic had the chance to deny the claim yesterday, but declined to do so. Certainly they want Nakamura to stay for next season and – barring a sudden drop in form from the outstanding player in Scotland last term – also for the following 12 months.
The Italian football agent Angelo Massoni raised the £1m issue yesterday.
In a statement released to PA Sport, a club spokesperson said: “Celtic have a contract with Nakamura for next year and the option for a further year.
“We have been given no indication he wishes to leave the club.”
Double winners Celtic might consider themselves both beneficiaries and victims of Nakamura’s great success in Scotland. Without him last season, they would surely not have been as dominant domestically as they became; being without him in the coming campaign is something Gordon Strachan would not wish to contemplate.
Massoni has claimed a quartet of the world’s leading clubs are chasing Nakamura.
Considering he is 29, and was not the great success with Italian side Reggina as he has been at Celtic, it may be wishful thinking to expect the cream of the Primera Liga, Serie A and Premier League to come in for Nakamura, but weighty and wealthy clubs such as Tottenham have been linked with the player.
Claims that Nakamura is unhappy at being paid lower wages than Celtic’s lesser achievers such as Thomas Gravesen might have some substance.
However in April Nakamura appeared far from unsettled when he landed the SPFA award, declaring: “I’ll definitely be at Celtic Park next season, hopefully to lift my third championship in a row.”
If he wants to renegotiate the deal struck last summer, Celtic may be prepared to listen, particularly if they can offload the big earners who made little contribution last season.
Striker Craig Beattie is not among the highest paid players, but he is set to move on to West Brom this week.
With six other senior strikers at Celtic, including new arrivals Chris Killen and Scott McDonald, Scotland international Beattie looked set to spend next season on the fringes of Strachan’s squad.
The two clubs are understood to be close to agreeing a fee of around £1million for the 23-year-old.
Beattie has already held initial talks with the Baggies and, if he moves to the Hawthorns, it will see West Brom boss Tony Mowbray finally get his man.
He attempted to sign Beattie from Celtic when Hibernian manager last summer before leaving Easter Road to move to Albion in October.
