Celtic are reportedly set to part ways with on-loan Stoke City defender Moritz Bauer according to a report from Football Insider. 

The report claims that the Bhoys aren't prepared to take up the option of making his stay with the club a permanent one at the end of this year's campaign.

It is also stated that Bauer isn't keen on making a permanent move to the Scottish giants, with a return to Stoke City looking imminent at the end of the season.

Bauer made 11 senior appearances for the Potters last season, but was sent out on loan to Celtic in the summer of 2019 in the hope that he would find regular minutes.

Celtic reportedly hold the option to sign Bauer permanently for a fee of just £1.5m, but given the lack of impact he has made in his time with the club to date, it won't come as a surprise to see the club not prepared to pay out that fee.

The right-back has been restricted to just 13 appearances for Neil Lennon's side this season, as they look set to win yet another league title ahead of rivals Rangers.

Bauer will be hoping he can force his way into the Stoke City side next season, which the Potters will be hoping is in the Championship, as they're still battling for survival in the second tier with nine games remaining this term.

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The Verdict: 

This isn't a surprise at all.

It's been a loan spell to forget for Bauer at Celtic, and even though it's a relatively cheap fee for the Bhoys to make his move a permanent one, he simply hasn't done enough to justify a move to the Scottish giants.

It'll be interesting to see whether he has a future at Stoke City though, as they could certainly benefit from having a player of his experience in and around their squad.

I think he could be handed a lifeline for his Stoke future, especially given how much they've struggled in the Championship this season.