It’s probably more exciting as a fan to constantly see your team linked with a load of new signings, but the best teams are always built around signing your best players to long term deals.
We’ve already seen Scott Bain, Callum McGregor and James Forrest sign new contracts recently, and it sounds like Kristoffer Ajer might be the next in line.
According to an exclusive report from Football Insider 247, Celtic are looking to offer Ajer a new deal worth £25k a week. They go on to suggest there is some interest from AC Milan so they hope to agree the new contract before the January window opens.
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It’s a move that would make sense for everybody involved. Ajer would get a bigger wage that reflects his status as one of the more promising young players in Europe, while it leaves Celtic in a much stronger negotiating position if they do decide to sell him.
The emergence of Jeremie Frimpong and solid start from Hatem abd Elhamed suggests Celtic could have plenty of depth and quality in the defence for some time to come. The left back spot might be a possible weakness, Bolingoli still looks like an absolute wildcard while Greg Taylor has taken a long time to get any chances in the first team.
It’s also a fantastic way for the board to mitigate any loss in earnings that might have arisen from missing out on the Champions League. The squad will contain several players who could be sold for well over £10m which will help the club going forward.
It’s a long term process that will take a while to take shape, but if Celtic can continue to sign and develop players who go on to play at the top level it will benefit everyone involved. Talented youngsters will want to join the team while continuing success will see the club earn more and more from transfer fees.
Ajer has shown great promise but still needs to improve a bit defensively, so staying in Glasgow for a few more years looks to be the best thing for him right now.
