 |
Fulham target
John Hartson |
| Position |
Striker |
| DOB |
05/04/1975 |
| P.O.B. |
Swansea |
| Height |
6' 1" |
| Club |
Celtic |
Celtic striker John Hartson's agent today denied reports that Fulham were about to bid for the Celtic striker.
The Premiership side were reported to be ready to pitch in with a £4m bid for the Welshman.
But Jonathan Barnett, who has handled most of the £21m-worth of transfers in Hartson's 11-year career, described the English reports as "complete rubbish".
He insisted Hartson wants to talk to Celtic about a new deal to keep him at Parkhead beyond the 18 months he still has to run.
And he made it clear the sooner the club invite them to sit down and discuss a contract extension, the happier Hartson will be.
Barnett said: "This is complete rubbish. There have been no talks with Fulham.
"Their manager, Chris Coleman, knows John from their days together with Wales, but that is possibly the last time they spoke."
Hartson has made it clear he has been happy living and playing in Glasgow since signing from Coventry for £6m in August 2001.
And Barnett has invited Celtic to make him even happier by instigating negotiations to extend the 28-year-old's stay beyond next summer.
He confirmed: "Celtic have not offered John a new contract. We are waiting for the club to contact us.
"John is fine about it, but he is eventually hoping Celtic will offer him a new deal – and that they will not wait too long to do it."
The news will come as a relief to Hoops fans who feared that, only days after Liam Miller turned his back on the club to sign a pre-contract agreement with Manchester United, and with Henrik Larsson counting down the months until he leaves the club on a Bosman, the Parkhead board would be made an offer they might feel was impossible to refuse.
Jim Hone, the former contracts manager at Celtic, who was involved in signing Hartson, is now at Fulham, as is the ex-Parkhead chief executive Ian McLeod, so the London club know what it would take to tempt Celtic to part with their man.