Bitton talks continue as Lennon attempts to ward off any suitors

NEIL LENNON is determined for Celtic to stave off interest in Nir Bitton by securing the versatile star on a new contract before next month’s transfer window opens.

Burnley have been linked with a £1million move for the Israeli, whose current Parkhead deal ends in the summer.

However, Lennon revealed that there is goodwill from both club and player to thrash out an arrangement that puts an end to any threat of Bitton moving on in January or for free in the close season.

The Celtic manager, who signed the midfielder from Ashdod in 2013, insisted: ‘We don’t want him to run down his contract, for sure.

‘We don’t want him to go. We want him to stay. And he has made indications that he would like to stay — and so have we.

‘Talks are ongoing. So we will see how that one pans out. He is happy here and we are hoping we can get some sort of positive resolution to that as we go along.’

Since suffering a hamstring injury when starting the 2-0 victory at Ibrox on September 1, the 28-year-old has managed only five substitute appearances.

Lennon’s eagerness to limit the scale of his starting line-up rotation through the Europa League schedule has restricted opportunities for Bitton and a clutch of players who were granted a stage against Rennes on Thursday evening.

Moritz Bauer, Greg Taylor, Lewis Morgan, Mikey Johnston, Leigh Griffiths and Bitton haven’t been able to count themselves regulars for a variety of reasons.

Johnston, out for almost three months with hip and groin problems, was back with a bang as he joined Odsonne Edouard’s surprise replacement Morgan on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win.

Taylor, like Bitton (below), can thank international involvement for some part in helping get him up to speed, while on-loan Stoke City defender Bauer has been a victim of teenage sensation Jeremie Frimpong’s breakthrough.

Lennon stressed: ‘We don’t want them to think they are just bit-part players. Because when you come to Celtic and the competition is good and the squad depth is good, they have to be able to step in and have a seamless transition.

‘That’s in a utopian world but they are making a really good fist of it at the minute.

‘They are such a good bunch. They set a good bar professionally with the intensity of their training. The fitness levels are excellent.

‘Some of them are naturally fit guys — Lewis, Bauer, Jonny

Hayes — who can be out of the team for a few weeks but come in and hit the ground running.

‘They top themselves up constantly on their levels of fitness. And once they get a taste of it, they enjoy it and they want more.

‘They all looked good and I’m delighted with that. I don’t really have a first team set in stone.

‘We do, obviously, have first-team regulars. But getting these guys game time in a really competitive fixture with a great atmosphere, it keeps their juices flowing.’

The final Group E fixture, away to CFR Cluj on December 12, is a ready-made opportunity for players with fuel to burn for a full first-team 90 minutes.

Celtic’s excellence in qualifying as a seeded side for the round of 32 with four wins, a draw and one game to spare will allow Lennon the luxury of leaving a host of stars at home.

Scott Brown’s suspension has already confirmed the captain will miss the trip to Romania, which follows next Sunday’s Betfred Cup final against Rangers.

‘We can give some players a rest and we can give other players game time which will stand them in good stead leading up to the break,’ said Lennon.

‘It is fantastic that we are even talking about seeding. Because when we looked at the group you were thinking: “This will be tight”. ‘But we’ve nailed it. And that is down to the players — they have been magnificent.’

Lennon’s heroes enjoyed a Friday off before yesterday’s four-hour trek towards Dingwall and a noon date with Ross County.

‘In the main, we have handled the Thursday to Sunday games pretty well,’ asserted Lennon. ‘But it’s the recovery, then the travelling, then the early kick-off. We will have to be spot on for that. ‘We can’t use any excuses, it is just the totting up of the games and we want to be in all the competitions.’