Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has revealed he is open to leaving Parkhead if an opportunity presents itself.

The Japanese playmaker has been tipped to follow Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham and, when asked about his future, Hatate admitted that he would be tempted if a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues made an offer:

“If there is a chance to step up, I would like to play in various leagues. When I was in the J-League, I thought it was impossible to want to play in the five major leagues. However, because I was able to achieve a certain amount of results throughout the reason with Celtic, I started to think that I would like to challenge myself.”

“If there is a chance, I would like to take on the challenge. Of course, if I stay with this team, I can have a lot of good experiences and next season there will be the Champions League. I think that by always fighting at the top, I will be mentally stronger, so there are many good points even if I stay.”

Hatate is by no means stating that he wants a move, but it’s clear that he would consider any approach from a team in a so-called bigger league.

It’s a waiting game to see where Spurs make a bid

Postecoglou is clearly a big fan of Hatate and so it is logical to assume that he would be interested in bringing him down south.

There have also been reports in recent days that the Australian has already decided he wants to offload Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as the Dane doesn’t fit his style of play.

Were the midfielder to be sold this summer, it would increase the chances of Hatate becoming a transfer target for Tottenham.

Postecoglou may decide against raiding his former club

While there have been rumours about Hatate, it could simply be press talk, with journalists putting two and two together.

Postecoglou could well opt against making any signings from Celtic. He is known for getting the most out of the players at his disposal, and he may feel there is enough quality in Spurs’s squad already.

Alternatively, he may have other targets lined up that he feels are better suited to the Premier League.