Neil Lennon gives up on Kris Commons January move
The Bolton boss has been linked with a move for the former Derby midfielder and was reportedly keen on luring Commons to Lancashire to bolster his squad.
But Celtic’s insistence that the ex-Scotland international won’t be going anywhere has convinced Lennon to give up his attempt to sign Commons.
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Hide AdThe former Celtic manager told STV: “Celtic have come out publicly and said he’s not for sale, he won’t be leaving and we haven’t pursued that any further.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Celtic, a great relationship with Peter [Lawwell] and I don’t want to damage that.
“People keep asking me about Kris and I feel uncomfortable talking about him because he is Celtic’s player at the end of the day.”
Commons played a vital role in Lennon’s Celtic side, with the 31-year-old netting 32 goals in all competitions during the 2013/14 season.
But he became an increasingly peripheral figure under Ronny Deila, with Commons appearing in around half of Celtic’s matches so far this campaign.
The Mansfield-born attacking midfielder had been linked with a move to Bolton, with the rumour mill going into overdrive following Celtic’s 2-0 win over Hamilton earlier this month, as Commons appeared to say a farewell to the Celtic fans, throwing his boots into the crowd.
But Lennon feels that even if a playing role for Commons isn’t assured under Deila, the Celtic hierarchy should consider him for a coaching position.
The Northern Irishman added: “It was something that myself and Peter Lawwell talked about. Kris gets the club, he gets Celtic.
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Hide Ad“He was having a great season last year and we talked about it in terms of working again together when his career finished.
“He’s an intelligent boy, I think he’d have plenty to offer on the coaching side of things.
“I think he would be an asset for Celtic in a coaching capacity.”