Losing Dedryck Boyata in January would be a major Celtic blow

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Celtic could be left heavily exposed for the second half of the season due to the fact that Premier League club Fulham are reportedly planning a move to sign defender Dedryck Boyata in January.

According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are preparing a raid for the 27-year-old in the New Year and want to take him to Craven Cottage.

It is understood that Fulham had a £9million bid rejected for the Belgium international in the summer window, but they remain keen on his signature.

Boyata’s current deal at Parkhead is set to expire at the end of the season and the Scottish giants risk losing him on a free in the summer.

Celtic will be in serious trouble if they offload Boyata in the New Year and fail to find a quality replacement in January.

The no-nonsense centre-back has improved massively during his time in Scotland and is Brendan Rodgers’ first-choice in the heart of defence.

He certainly has all the traits to cut the grade in the Premier League and his exit seems inevitable given the contract situation.

But Celtic need to start shortlisting centre-back targets now if they know Boyata is due to leave, as their current options don’t quite hit the same levels.

Filip Benkovic, who is on loan from Leicester City, is forming a great partnership alongside Boyata in the backline.

But that could soon be disrupted and leave Rodgers scratching his head over his best defence.