According to reports in The Herald, Celtic may consider selling defender Dedryck Boyata this summer if he fails to commit his future to the club.

What's the word, then?

Well, the 27-year-old's contract at Celtic Park is due to expire next summer, and while the two parties held preliminary talks before the 2018 World Cup, Boyata’s stock has risen since he appeared on a number of occasions for Russia during the tournament.

The Herald says that Lazio and Fulham are both keen on the big centre-back, and should he stall on a new deal then Brendan Rodgers could choose to sell him for a big fee now while he can.

Should the defender move on in the next few weeks, it would leave the likes of Jack Hendry, Marvin Compper, Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic fighting for the spots at the heart of the Scottish Premiership champions' backline.

What should Celtic do?

With one year left on his contract and with potential interest from plenty of clubs following a successful World Cup for Boyata, the Bhoys, who should hijack a move for a giant English Championship defender,  should take advantage of a potential bidding war for the 27-year-old and cash in if the offers are there.

While the 27-year-old has been a good player for them, he is replaceable and should they receive a good fee for his services, it would allow them to invest in a centre-back who would be an upgrade on the Belgian.

Steven Gerrard's arrival at arch-rivals Rangers could mean that Celtic need to be even better during the 2018/19 campaign, and ensuring they have an even better defence than they have had previously could be the key to them once again beating their local neighbours to yet another league title.

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