FULHAM will make a £9million bid for Dedryck Boyata this week according to The London Times. The Premiership club have been linked with interest in the Belgium World Cup star since his group stage appearances in the tournament in Russia and the rumours at the time suggested that Boyata’s agent was looking at securing a £50k a week pay packet for the player.
Other interest from Lazio and Lyon amounted to nothing and Brendan Rodgers was hopeful of holding on to the big defender after holding positive talks with the player in his return to Lennoxtown last week.
Boyata, who is now in the final year of his current deal at Celtic, was offered a new contract at the end of last season and just before the season ended he stated that he wanted to stay at Celtic and would sign in his return after the summer – at that stage he wasn’t sure if he’d be in the final 22 for the Belgium squad.
However things went very well for the former Manchester City player and he starred in the three group stage wins before losing his place to a fit again Vincent Company for the knock-out stages. Eventually Belgium won 3rd spot in the World Cup.
The next two weeks were spent on a beach holiday in Greece before his return to Celtic last week. Boyata was not involved in the squad for the 3-1 win over Livingston on Saturday and is unlikely to play any part in the game against AEK Athens on Wednesday.
The English transfer window closes on Thursday this week so if any Fulham bid is to be accepted then the clock is ticking.
It was thought that Celtic would sell if Boyata indicated that he would not sign his new deal at the club. However Brendan Rodgers, with concerns over his central defence for the Champions League qualifying campaign – we need to play 8 games to reach the group stages in 2018, in 1967 , 8 games got us to Lisbon – Rodgers has firmed his resolve and indicated that the player will not be sold at this stage.
If Fulham’s £9million bid does arrive, and Peter Lawwell talks them up to a round £10million as the clock ticks to the English window closing, then you can see that happening.
It surely only works though if the cash is spent by Brendan on a replacement!
