Jack Hendry has reportedly chosen to move from Celtic to KV Oostende on a permanent basis, according to 90MIN. The Belgian club are then eyeing up an immediate sale, leaving the Hoops out on some of the profits.
The Lowdown: Permanent move secured
Following an impressive 2020/21 loan spell with the Belgian top-flight outfit, the 26-year-old has elected to move on to pastures new in a move that suits all parties.
An outcast at Parkhead, the Scot has enjoyed a rather unexpected rise to prominence in the past year. Making 27 appearances over the course of the campaign, Hendry helped secure an outstanding fifth place finish for the provincial minnows [BBC].
The Latest: Oostende cashing in
Hendry’s move on loan to KV Oostende contained an option to buy for just under £2 million [The Celtic Star]. His prospective new employers have now chosen to activate this clause.
Despite the Hoops being set to net a decent fee for the Scotland international, a strange situational realm has occurred surrounding his departure. Owing to his upturn in form the past year, he netted the prestigious Sport Voetbal Belgian player of the year award.
As a result, 90MIN report that KV Oostende may look to sell the former Dundee man for a significant profit immediately in this transfer window. Crystal Palace, Leeds, Burnley and Newcastle are some of the names rumoured to be in the hunt.
The Verdict: Mixed emotions for Celtic
There are pros and cons to this deal from a Celtic perspective. Positively, the Hoops are set to make a small profit on the man signed for £1.44 million in January 2018 [Transfermarkt]. However, one can only wonder what could’ve been if his buy-out clause wasn’t included in the deal.
FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Short on central defenders, it may come as a blow to Lennoxtown chiefs losing a potential solution to an undoubted problem position, but even if the intention was never to keep him in Glasgow long-term, the fact that the Belgian outfit are looking to immediately shift him along for profit suggests the Bhoys could have made a much heftier sum had they not offered the option to leave permanently at the end of the loan.
In other news, Celtic are eyeing a new candidate to help fill the DoF role…