Di Marzio: Milan defender rejects offer from Saudi Arabia and gives priority to Celtic

AC Milan defender Diego Laxalt has refused an offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, a report claims, in what is a boost to Celtic’s chances of keeping him.

Celtic signed Laxalt from Milan on a season-long loan towards the end of the summer window, and since then he has become important player in Neil Lennon’s squad, scoring one goal in sixteen appearances.

According to Di Marzio’s website, Laxalt – who has been retiring in Dubai for a few days together with the rest of his team-mates – has ended up in the crosshairs of Al-Hilal.

The Arab club has offered the player a three-year contract for almost €3million net per season and were waiting for his approval before opening talks with Milan.

However, the Uruguayan refused the offer because he wants to continue playing in Europe and his priority remains Celtic, where he is playing continuously and is highly appreciated by the current technical staff.

If Neil Lennon stays as manager, he will ask the club to try and sign him permanently, the report concludes. The Rossoneri club must sell the player for at least €7.6million to avoid a capital loss.


SM Exclusive: The background on Milan’s accelerated pursuit of Kone – their strategy