FIRST you drop in a story, you don’t need any quotes or anything like that, suggesting that an English Premier League side is interested in a player who is doing particularly well at that moment.
Then you wait a day or two until the club put up players or management for some press activity and you ask them about the speculation.
There will be a percentage of truth and accuracy in the story on that just about every Premier League club – remember the resources at their disposal – will be keeping files on just about every player that Celtic play regularly in the first team and probably quite a few of the Development squad too.
Callum McGregor’s form over the past two years has been sensational under Brendan Rodgers. Like James Forrest he was enduring rather than enjoying life at Celtic before the manager arrived and was also the target of the Boo Bhoys on certain occasions.
Even when doing so well under Brendan Rodgers, the then Scotland boss Gordon Strachan was too stubborn to listen to the calls to get him into the Scotland set-up. These days he’s just about the first name on the International team-sheet.
And when Scott Brown was injured there was talk that Celtic would struggle without their inspirational skipper on the park. He was the most important player for Rodgers and his leader on the park. Yet McGregor dropped back into that position and has done so well that the talk now is whether Brown will be able to force his way back into the side.
Certainly it looks like he’ll be on the bench against Salzburg on Thursday, as he was on Saturday against Kilmarnock – in a match that McGregor excelled in yet again.
So stage two of the process happened yesterday when the Celtic squad were visiting and dropping off a Foundation cheque to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, and the media were able to ask about the McGregor to Bournemouth speculation – THEIR speculation. But could McGregor crack it in the Premier League?
“For what Callum McGregor has already achieved, and with the talent he has, he’s shown he can perform at the top level against some of Europe’s best teams.
“You are not taking a gamble. Callum is a player everyone knows is capable of playing at that level. He has already shown it for Celtic and is now getting more opportunities at international level.
“You can see the players who have moved from Celtic to the Premier League in recent years have gone on to do really well.
“So I have no doubt Callum is in that bracket in terms of quality. He could play for a number of teams all across Europe.”
Stage three, set the price for your story. Is he worth £20million? Would that would be the starting point for bids? This story is getting developing nicely…
“I don’t know, it is crazy money now.
“Certainly in terms of goals, and how important he is to this team, it would be very difficult to put a price on it.
“But it would have to be a very big price for someone to come in and prise McGregor away because of the importance he has to the team.
“He has been an excellent player for us for a number of years now.
“He’s scored important goals and his performances in Scotland, Europe and internationally, have been excellent.
“Anyone who has been looking at him will have been impressed. It’s not a recent thing either. He’s been consistently very good for a number of seasons.
“It’s no surprise teams such as Bournemouth, as well as maybe higher up, will be looking at him. That’s what comes with success and being part of a successful team.
“It’s only natural people will come looking at your best players. It’s entirely down to his performances,” The Celtic goalkeeper said.
Next cover your bases. With so much to play for and achieve at Celtic the option to stay put and win more trophies for the team you support must be considered.
“Celtic is a great place to be. We’re playing some great football and the enjoyment factor of where we are, how we are playing and the group we have, you cannot easily dismiss that,” Gordon replied.
“I have been lucky enough to play in the Premier League down south, and be part of different clubs and different dressing rooms. But to be part of something as special as this, you do not get it very often.
“I do not think anybody has ever been in a hurry to leave. There are so many different things that can happen in a career. But for us to be in this moment here, and part of this club at this special time, there will not be much better out there in terms of how good this feels.
“How much money could compensate for that? I would suggest it has to be an awful lot. Celtic is the place to be at the moment. It is a great club doing great things and playing so well.
“You are not going to win everything every year. At Celtic, we have been incredibly lucky to have done that through our hard work and dedication.
“It’s something that will be out of reach at other places.
“Callum is a young player who has to make his own way in the world, and it’s great for him to be linked as there will always be choices out there.”
One point worth making it that Brendan Rodgers has now developed 3 Academy players who were in the first team squad when he arrived to such an extent that he has added tens of millions to their transfer value.
If £20million is a reasonable starting price (see above for the logic) for Callum McGregor then you would have to start at that level of money for the likes of Kieran Tierney and James Forrest.
And that’s down to Brendan Rodgers. If these 3 players were sold in the summer of 2016 before Brendan put a team onto the park the combined fees would have been perhaps around £10million – if that.
That’s a £50million increase in potential player value.
