CELTIC look set to open contract talks with Ryan Christie.
Neil Lennon last night revealed he’s eager to reward the Scotland star with a new improved deal.
Attacker Christie, 25, has two years remaining on his current agreement which runs until the summer of 2022.
He scored 19 goals before the season ended due to the Coronavirus lockdown with Lennon delighted with his form.
And the Hoops boss will now instruct the club’s board to hand Christie an extension.
He said: “That’s an avenue we will look to pursue.
“He was terrific for us last year and I’d love to give him an extension.
“It’s all quiet right now in terms of talks because there’s been so much going on, but we’ll be picking that up again soon.
“He scored 20 goals last year and I’m sure he would have added more if the season went on. That’s a fantastic return for a wide man.
“But it wasn’t just his goals. It was his all-round game that was so important for us.
“It’s like James Forrest and a good few others, they really weighed in and Ryan was right at the top as well.”
Lennon revealed just last week he was hoping star striker Odsonne Edouard would sign a contract extension.
And Celts skipper Scott Brown reckons it’s a smart move from the club getting their best players signed up on new deals.
He said: “All of the lads want to stay here and that shows the mentality of this squad – everyone wants to be here, playing for Celtic in front of 60,000 fans again.
“We have some great players here, too; Kristoffer Ajer, Callum McGregor, Christopher Jullien, Jamesy Forrest and Odsonne Edouard.
“When you have great players then they get linked with other clubs, that’s just what happens. But they all want to be here and they’re all under contract as well.”
Brown is just desperate to get back playing once the Coronavirus pandemic is over.
He added: “Everyone just wants to get back playing again because that’s what we do best and the only thing most of us probably know how to do at all.
HERE’S JONNY Ex-Celtic star Jonny Hayes set to seal Aberdeen return this week
“You come in and train, go to hotels and play games. Your whole week – your whole year, pretty much – is dictated by the demands of football. You have three or four weeks off then come back and go again.
“To have 12-13 weeks off without being able to see the lads and have that banter and then eventually come back and only be able to train individually is very different from what we’ve all been used to but we’ll deal with it and make the most of it.
“Plus people like Callum, Jamesy, Ryan and the other international players will thrive after having had this time off after having just a fortnight’s holiday for the last three or four years and I think they’ll get stronger as next season goes on.
MOST READ
“Now we just want to start kicking a ball again and get the rage back.”
Celtic, meanwhile, are set to conclude talks with Gavin Strachan and name him as their new first-team coach.
As SunSport revealed yesterday, the son of former Hoops boss Gordon is on his way to Parkhead from Peterborough.
Negotiations continued yesterday with Strachan likely to be unveiled in the next 48 hours.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page