Celtic and Stephen Welsh agree early contract termination
Celtic allow academy graduate Stephen Welsh to leave on a free after early contract termination, with interest emerging from clubs in France and Poland.
Celtic academy graduate Stephen Welsh has left the club by mutual consent after the club agreed to terminate his contract a year early.
The 2026 Scottish champions have allowed the 24-year-old defender to move on as a free agent, effectively waiving any potential transfer fee in what is being described as a goodwill gesture.
Welsh, a product of the club’s youth system, made his breakthrough under Neil Lennon and went on to feature regularly across domestic and European competitions, earning a reputation as a dependable squad option.
Sky Sports News reporter Anthony Joseph revealed that interest is already building from abroad, with clubs in France and Poland monitoring the defender’s situation following his departure.
“Celtic and Stephen Welsh have mutually agreed to part ways this summer,” Joseph reported. “He’s been allowed to terminate his contract a year early – a goodwill gesture for his services. Clubs in France and Poland are interested.”
Welsh spent most of last season on loan at Motherwell, where he enjoyed a strong run of form and consistent game time in the Scottish Premiership, helping them to secure fourth place and with that a European spot.
He was briefly recalled to Celtic during the January window but made only a fleeting appearance in the Scottish Cup against Auchinleck Talbot, before returning to Fir Park for the remainder of the campaign.
Welsh now faces a key decision over the next step in his career, with a potential reunion with former Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou at Toulouse or a return to Fir Park also not ruled out.