Has Albian Ajeti left the building?

One Twitter user has claimed that Albian Ajeti hasn’t been back at Lennoxtown since pre-season training started at the start of July.

Celtic’s non-internationalists clock in at Lennoxtown on July 3 which included a swathe of players that had been out on loan last season.

Ajeti should have been on that roll call but there has been no sighting of him through a month of social media activity from the club.

Back in the lockdown summer of 2020 the Swiss striker finally signed from West Ham on August 13 with a four year contract reported.

With a number of contracts, including Leigh Griffiths, Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic, the length of the contract published by Celtic has included a 12 month option held by the club.

The exact terms of these contracts are unknown. If the club has a get-out option on the final year of Ajeti’s contract it might explain the claim that he hasn’t been back since going on loan to Sturm Graz.

It’s crazy we’ve almost forgotten these two are still on our wage bill 🤣
Nowhere to be seen. pic.twitter.com/RN9sLnP4UN
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) August 1, 2023

Soro and maccarthy are a till around and training with B team , ajeti has never stepped foot in the training ground the whole summer
— aww naw, Annoni’s oan anaw noo. (@PJOConroy) August 1, 2023

The Swiss striker hit the jackpot when he left Basel for West Ham in the summer of 2019, after one season the Hammers were happy to cut their losses with the striker moved on to Celtic, possibly as Odsonne Edouard’s successor or as back up with Griffiths again unavailable.

The first warning sign was when Ajeti went on holiday when Celtic’s interest was first registered, as Neil Lennon’s squad went through their pre-season preparations there was no sign of the striker.

Ajeti made his debut in the 6-0 win over Reykjavic on August 18, came off the bench to score a late winner at Dundee United four days later but when Edouard was injured for the Champions League qualifier against Ferencvaros the Swiss internationalist remained on the bench.

Ryan Christie was tried through the middle, the Hungarians never looked troubled defensively with Ajeti making no impact coming off the bench for the last 15 minutes.

Celtic actually recovered well domestically from that blow, winning eight matches on the bounce with the new striker scoring four more goals but there were ominous signs that all wasn’t well with four successive Autumn defeats setting off an incredible collapse.

Lennon never recovered, Celtic never recovered with John Kennedy seeing the season out with the squad on their uppers.

Ange Postecoglou kept Ajeti involved, he didn’t have too any options with a double at home to Ross County and opening the scoring in the 4-3 defeat from Real Betis proving another false dawn.

A hamstring injury half an hour into the return match with Betis turned out to be Ajeti’s final Celtic appearance.

Giorgos Giakoumakis came to the rescue, Kyogo Furuhashi returned with his goal touch with Oh Hyeon-gyu arriving, showing signs of promise with the desire to improve and adapt.

The final chapters of Ajeti and Celtic have still to be completed, the only certainty is that it won’t be out on the park as the striker moves off for his ‘next chapter’.

Soro will be due a testimonial at this rate
— Jerry Taylor (@JerryTaylorAyr) August 1, 2023

Add in James McCarthy as well.
Fair play to them, whoever gave them that wage hang your head in shame.
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) August 1, 2023