Davie Provan Wants New Celtic Deal for Leigh Griffiths

Pundit and former Celtic man Davie Provan has had his say on the future of Leigh Griffiths as contract uncertainty continues to swirl over the experienced attacker.

A deleted Tweet reply from a family member indicated that the versatile forward is set to be a free agent, with Celtic offering no indication as of yet that they intend to take up an option to extend his current terms by a year.

However, there has yet to be any official confirmation of an extension or departure – leaving the Scotland international’s Celtic future in limbo.

Speaking on Go Radio [via Celtsarehere], Provan leapt to Griffiths’ defence and pitched the case for the attacker to be offered an extension:

“I don’t want to add to Celtic’s troubles, but again, you can’t help but contrast the difference between Jermain Defoe still playing at 38 and Leigh Griffiths, who looks as if he’s leaving Celtic at 30. By the way, I would not let Leigh Griffiths go. I don’t think Celtic can afford to let him go.

“If Edouard goes, Ajeti, I don’t think is up to it; Klimala has gone. Why would you let Leigh Griffiths go? I think he let his teammates, his manager, down last summer when he turned up overweight and unfit, but you have to assume you can get him into shape, offer him some kind of incentivised contract.

“But don’t let a boy who can finish as well as he does walk out of the club when you’re so short of strikers.”

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With Odsonne Edouard entering the final year of his current deal and heavily linked with a Premier League move, Celtic will not want to be left in a situation where Albian Ajeti is their sole option.

The ex-Basel and West Ham man has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot ahead of other options and serves in a peripheral capacity.

Griffiths certainly has had his own struggles with fitness yet managed to contribute 5 goals and 2 Premiership assists, despite starting in little over a fifth of Celtic’s line-ups.

The centre-forward can also play on the wing or as a second striker, and an extension could save vital funds by plugging a potential offensive void early.