Reo Hatate transfer fee revealed after Celtic midfielder joins Burnley

Reo Hatate’s four-and-a-half-year spell at Celtic has officially come to an end after the midfielder completed his transfer to Burnley.

Hatate joined the Championship side on September 1 after Burnley made a late push to complete the deal before the 11pm transfer deadline. The Japanese midfielder leaves Glasgow having played an important role in Celtic’s recent success and enjoyed several memorable moments in green and white.

While the reported transfer fee may fall short of what some Celtic supporters might have expected a few years ago, the club are still believed to have secured a respectable return for the 28-year-old.

According to reports from The Celtic Way, Celtic received around £6.5m for Hatate. With the midfielder still contracted until 2028, there is an argument that the Hoops could have held out for a larger fee.

However, Hatate’s desire to seek a new challenge played a major part in the decision. Once the midfielder made it clear that he wanted to leave Celtic, the priority was to reach an agreement and bring his time at the club to an end.

Despite accepting that the transfer was probably the right outcome for everyone involved, Celtic assistant coach Shaun Maloney admitted that Hatate’s departure would be felt around the club.

Maloney praised the midfielder’s contribution during his time in Glasgow, highlighting the number of trophies he helped Celtic win.

“I have coached against him and I think he is a brilliant player. I think what he has done at the club has been really, really good. He has won many titles here,” Maloney said.

“If he does [leave], I will personally miss him. I think he has been a brilliant player.”

Celtic are unlikely to be left short of options in midfield, though, after making significant changes to the department during the summer transfer window.

Hatate was one of several midfielders to leave, with Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo also departing. Celtic have responded by bringing in a number of new players as they look to establish a fresh identity in the middle of the pitch.

Mika Baur has already made an encouraging start following his arrival in Glasgow, while Joel van den Berg, Oliver Sorensen and Gvidas Gineitis will add further competition for midfield places.

With the squad undergoing such a significant midfield overhaul, Hatate’s departure marks the end of one chapter for Celtic as the club begin to build around a new group of players.