Joe Ledley to join Everton on a free?

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Ledley poised to quit Celtic

CELTIC fear Joe Ledley is going to walk away for free at the end of the season.


The Welsh international is one of Neil Lennon’s major players but his contract is due to expire in the summer.

Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell confirmed in September that the club had opened talks with the former Cardiff City star.

Express Sport understands that those negotiations have made very little headway in persuading Ledley to accept a new deal.

Ledley walked out on hometown club Cardiff to join Celtic on a free transfer in 2010.

And there is now genuine concern at Celtic Park that he will do the same at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old will not be short of takers, due to his Champions League and international displays, and Premier League sides Cardiff and Everton are both keen on the midfielder.

Ledley will be free to talk to interested parties and sign a pre-contract from January.

Celtic chief Lawwell was keen to wrap up a quick deal but as it stands that is unlikely to happen.

Ledley is already among the higher earners at the club and the player knows there is very little scope for his current contract to be improved dramatically because of Celtic’s wage constraints.

During the summer, Ledley said that a decision over his future could be swayed by which players left the club.

Since then top stars Victor Wanyama, Kelvin Wilson and Gary Hooper have all departed and goalkeeper Fraser Forster could be the next one out of the Parkhead exit door if a club meets the Hoops’ valuation for the future England cap.

Portuguese side Benfica were interested in Forster in August and the 25-year-old could be allowed to leave if Celtic were to drop out of the Champions League – although it would take a significant offer for any deal to be done.

Celtic remain in talks with influential striker Georgios Samaras, who is also out of contract in the summer.

Source: Express