An update has emerged on former Newcastle target Olivier Ntcham, regarding his situation at Celtic.

What's the talk?

Celtic have officially confirmed that midfielder Olivier Ntcham has left the club.

Back in January, Newcastle were reportedly interested in signing the central midfielder on loan but failed to get a deal over the line for the ex-Man City man.

He won't cost a penny

Newcastle must reignite their interest in Ntcham this month as this update has provided them with the perfect opportunity to bring him in. He is now a free agent and the Magpies will not need to pay any transfer fee for his services, which means that they can get a deal done without negotiating with Celtic - lessening the complexity of any potential move.

This also means that it could be a risk-free swoop. The finances involved mean that Newcastle would not lose a significant amount of money should Ntcham arrive and flop in the Premier League. He was earning £14k-per-week at Celtic, which would place him 19th on the wage bill at St. James' Park.

Therefore, he likely would not command a gigantic pay packet and Ste Bruce could bring him in on the cheap to bolster his midfield ranks, with the potential upside being very exciting as he was once very highly thought of up in Scotland.

Former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers, when we was still in charge in Glasgow, once labelled Ntcham as a terrific talent as he pointed out his improvement since joining the club.

He said:

“If you are on the outside looking in, I think you see Celtic as a great club for that.

“They may not be here for a long period of time, but they come in and they learn to love the club. They also see that they are improving.

“Moussa came in for a purpose and that was to get better, to improve and play at a big club to win trophies. He has done that.

“Olivier is the same. He has come in to improve and he is a terrific talent."

This shows that the chance may still be there for Ntcham to realise his potential and become a very good player, but it has not happened for him yet.

It could be worth Newcastle taking a punt on him, given he won't cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee, as he could end up becoming a useful asset for Bruce next season if it all works out.

AND in other news, Chronicle drop big update on “tremendous” £38k-p/w gem, Newcastle fans will be buzzing...