Former Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie has sealed his promotion to the Premier League with Bournemouth, triggering a clause which means the Champions-in waiting will receive £1m. The versatile midfielder reached the end of his time at Celtic having enjoyed an excellent time with his boyhood team.
Now, he will land a further seven-figure sum into the coffers at Paradise for Ange Postecoglou to use in the transfer window. Bournemouth have joined Fulham in being promoted to the top flight after sealing their status against Nottingham Forest tonight.
The 26-year-old joined Bournemouth in a deal at the end of the summer transfer window, leaving Postecoglou’s side for Scott Parker’s Championship outfit. The Cherries paid just £2.5m for the versatile attacking midfielder; however, it appears that there may be a clause close to being activated.
Celtic will net a further £1m as Bournemouth sealed the second automatic promotion place to the English Premier League. The shrewd Celts have also put in a survival clause, which means that if the South Coast side stay up after one season, they have to pay Celtic £1m again.
Celtic had held discussions with the playmaker’s representatives but a decision to sell was made as Christie was free to leave for nothing as early as January. Christie was a mainstay in the Celtic sides that won the Treble Treble and Quadruple Treble and left to join the Championship club having scored 41 goals and 45 assists in 151 appearances for Celtic. His final appearance came in the defeat to Rangers, a poor end to what will be regarded as an excellent career in the Hoops.
Celtic will hopefully have this money, along with the prize pot at the end of the campaign for automatic Champions League qualification, to buy Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota on permanent deals. Bournemouth have had a strange season, threatening automatic promotion but also hitting speedbumps along the way. Celtic wont care, though, if it means that they get more money for an asset that would’ve been able to sign as a free agent just months before he left.
Good luck to Ryan, who served Celtic well and will take the next step in his career in England’s top flight.
