Greek giants AEK Athens may be prepared to forgo some of the money Celtic owe them for Vasilis Barkas in order to wrap up a deal to bring Olivier Ntcham to the club, according to The Scottish Sun. 

What's the latest Celtic news? 

Clearly, much of the discussion around Celtic of late has been in regards to their long-and-drawn-out attempts to replace Neil Lennon. 

Still, with the Champions League qualifiers fast approaching, the Glasgow giants need to get their house in order and, according to this report, could be offered the chance to save some money. 

AEK, who have Europa League qualifiers themselves to plan for, are understood to be keen on Ntcham and have moved to the front of the queue to sign him, reportedly pushing hard for a deal. 

It is thought they are prepared to allow Celtic to either keep some of the instalments of the £4.5m they owe for Barkas in order to seal a move for the Frenchman but they do want a quick answer. 

When does Ntcham's Celtic contract expire? 

While there have previously been suggestions that Celtic are prepared to cancel Ntcham's contract and allow him to move as a free agent, The Sun claims that is unlikely at this stage. 

As it stands, the 25-year-old has a contract running until the summer of 2022, meaning this summer is the last time the club could realistically command a fee for him. 

When did Ntcham last play for Celtic? 

Loaned out to Marseille in January, Ntcham hasn't played for the Hoops since appearing in a 2-0 win over Ross County just before Christmas 2020. 

Completely uninvolved, it does seem unlikely he'd be able to come back into the side at this stage, particularly with Celtic reportedly looking to overhaul their squad. 

Could Celtic sign a midfielder to replace him? 

GIVEMESPORT revealed last month that a deal to bring James McCarthy across the border following the expiration of his Crystal Palace contract was at an advanced stage. 

Still, the uncertainty over the managerial situation is a stumbling block despite the fact talks have been held and all parties involved are keen on the idea. 

What has been said about Ntcham? 

Speaking to Football FanCast in March, former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie tipped Ntcham to leave the club this summer. 

“He has got to come back, but I would imagine Celtic would want to move him on," he said. 

"We don’t know who the manager is. If it’s John Kennedy he will be moved on, if it’s a new manager he might think he’s got something. 

"If it was me I’d keep him, but realistically he’s going to be moved on I would say.”

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