John Hartson insists Odsonne Edouard leaving Celtic is not a foregone conclusion, as he insisted Eddie Howe could convince the star to stay.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker is out of contract in the summer of 2022 and it's widely accepted he'll move on in the close season.
The likes of Milan and Leicester have been linked but 'French Eddy' sparked speculation with an Instagram post on Thursday.
Edouard posted Celtic 's season ticket campaign and said he couldn't wait to have fans back at Parkhead.
And while that isn't necessarily an indication he'll stay, Hartson believes the incoming manager could swing things.
He said on Go Radio: "There's almost a school of thought and expectancy from everyone - and I mean everyone - that he's going.
"The club might well not get the right transfer fee for him, somebody's got to come in and pay the money Celtic value him at.
"I actually know that Edouard loves playing for Celtic. He really, really does.
"Everybody seems to think - and I'm the worst culprit for it, I've been saying Edouard will go - what's he worth? What's he going to go for?
"But, listen, it wouldn't be beyond all reason if he was to stay.
"What if Eddie Howe comes and is saying to the owners, 'look, I want to come and by the way I love this kid we've got, this centre-forward Edouard. I would love to keep him, give me half an hour with him'?
"We don't know these things.
"There is this thought process that he will leave but he said today he can't wait to play in front of the fans again."
