Celtic misfit Marian Shved has been left in transfer limbo as Mechelen struggle to agree a permanent deal for the 23-year-old.
The Ukrainian international moved to Parkhead in January 2019 toward the end of the Brendan Rodgers era.
Shved struggled for game time under Neil Lennon, managing just two appearances in all competitions in the 2019-20 campaign.
He appears to have no future in Glasgow after not being included in their pre-season trip to Wales and has previously made it clear he wants to return to Belgium.
However, Mechelen have yet to reach an agreement with Celtic to bring him back on loan and aren't sure whether they will manage to strike a deal now.
Celtic have got rid of most of their unwanted, fringe players in the squad with Vakoun Bayo the latest to leave in a £1.4 million move to Gent.
But they still have Shved on their books, despite him declaring last month he wanted to play for Mechelen this season.
He said: "I want to stay in Mechelen. I was never given a chance at Celtic. I got the opportunity here that I didn't get at Celtic.
"I am really pleased with how last season went because I had a lot of game time and that helped me build my confidence.
"At first when I arrived here, I didn't adapt to either my new club or Belgian football. But I got stronger both mentally and physically and I have been happy with my form.
"My loan spell is coming to an end and I want to stay at Mechelen because I know here I have the manager's trust.
"And no footballer can play without trust."
Shved, who still has two years left on his deal, made just three appearances for Celtic since signing in a £2 million deal as one of Brendan Rodgers' last signings, but made 22 appearances for Mechelen last season.
