NIR BITTON is set to stay at Celtic after Espanyol refused to pay the £10m asking price for the midfielder.

The Spanish club had offered £6m and believed that would be enough to prise the Israeli international away from Parkhead.

However, Celtic have played hardball and refused to budge from their original figure and Espanyol, who were keen on Bitton, have backed off and are not expected to return with an increased offer.

This is good news for Brendan Rodgers who is a fan of Bitton. Celtic will play a 4-3-3 formation this season and Bitton, for the moment at least, is his favourite to sit deep in the middle of midfield.

Arsenal remain interested in the player, who signed a long-term contract a year ago, but Celtic have made it clear he will not be going on the cheap.

Rodgers has been delighted with all his squad by the way they have worked in their two-week stay in Slovenia.

And while the goal-less draw with Maribor on Saturday night was some distance away from being a good game, one again the manager was happy to see the team carrying out his orders.

Rodgers said: "Because these teams are unknown, then people take it for granted that you can turn up and win these types of games, whether it’s a competition or pre-season.

“Maribor have qualified for the Champions League recently and ran Chelsea very close here. They are a good side and when they play at their own ground, they are very hard to beat. I thought our players were excellent.

“In terms of what I saw over the four games, we have only conceded one goal from open play over games, so our defensive organisation and our pressing has become very good.

“Our solidity and mentality has been excellent and that is something which is very important when you are trying to form a collective unity.

“We will get better offensively as time goes on and we work together but that collective idea to defend together and press together has been very pleasing and tonight was another good example of that.

“The four games have proved very beneficial for us and our opponents have got better as we have stepped up.

"It was another really good test for us tonight. Maribor, for five of the last six years have been Slovenian champions so it was really good exercise for us and the players coped and adapted really well in what were very hot conditions and the preparations for the game on Tuesday was perfect."

Rodgers will sign more players this summer, but has wanted to judge the ones already at the club and he has been impressed with what he has seen.

Speaking to the club website, he said: "It’s been an excellent tour for us,” continued the Hoops boss. “It’s only been 20 days since we have been together. I felt we left Lennoxtown, having worked well, and at the end of this 20-day period, we travel to our first European qualification game as a team.

“I have been overly pleased by the attitude of the players. There is still a long way to go before we are perfect but in terms of the attitude and what the players are trying to take no board, I have been delighted.

“It will be a tough game in Gibraltar but we are ready as we can be. We have piled as much work as we can into the last 20 days out here both on and off the pitch and we are ready as we can be for it.”