Celtic’s determination to hold their ground in the club’s valuation for the various want aways is bound to be causing some consternation among those players who are looking for the move that they thought they’d have got twelve months ago.
The main want aways are of course the French duo of Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard, Norwegian defender Kris Ajer and the Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie. The latest news centres on Ntcham and Ajer but the other two are pretty much in the same boat as they await clubs coveting their signature meeting the valuation that Celtic have set.
It should be noted that Celtic have an initial investment of around £15.5m in these players and that is going to be sums that Celtic will want returned to the coffers as an absolute minimum, so it’s unlikely in the extreme to expect the club to allow any of these players to walk away for free. That seemed to be the position that the Olivier Ntcham camp seemed to believe as they negotiated his Celtic exit via a move to AEK Athens.
Yesterday when reality set it it seemed that AEK Athens were ready to walk away from the Ntcham deal, but it didn’t take too long for that to change, at lest according to Greek sports reporter Giannis Chorianopoulos, who is usually on the money with these stories. “AEK Athens officials are now checking the option to make an offer to Celtic for Olivier Ntcham!” he stated today.
AEK Athens officials are now checking the option to make an offer to Celtic for Olivier Ntcham! 🟡🟢#AEK #Celtic #CelticFC
— Giannis Chorianopoulos (@choria80) June 29, 2021
Earlier in the day we learnt via Kicker, that Bayer Leverkusen were so far unwilling to reach the €15m valuation that Celtic have placed on the Norwegian defender who has explained the reasons why he now needs to secure a move to a bigger league, as incidentally has been agreed with the club last summer and again in January. But crucially that only happens when Celtic’s valuation is met and so far Celtic are playing hardball.
Then there is Odsonne Edouard, hitherto the Celtic talisman, who would have got his move last summer if Celtic’s valuation was met by any club. It wasn’t so he stayed and incidentally Ivan Toney wasn’t brought in as his replacement. That chain of events had more to do with the financial implications of the pandemic rather than Celtic digging in heels.
Leicester City want to sign Edouard but appear to be unwilling at this stage to meet Celtic’s valuation, believed to be £25m so the player awaits developments, as do Celtic.
Ryan Christie, with his dreams of making a major impact at the European Championships in tatters, rather unfortunately it has to be noted, it looks like he might be heading to French football with both Monaco and Nice preparing bids, if reports are to be believed. Don’t rule a move to England though, maybe to Southampton. But again only if the price is right for Celtic.
Unlike the others, Christie has only 6 months on his contract remaining, the other three, assuming Celtic take up Ntcham’s year option, have twelve months to go. All could sit tight for a season and walk away for nothing – as indeed Edouard’s advisors have hinted might happen.
But their desire to leave, and the competition to get their signature this summer is likely to be greater than Celtic’s potential losses next year. So Celtic will stand firm and await developments.
If the club can get £2m for Ntcham, £5m for Christie, £13m for Ajer and £20m for Edouard than that would be a very decent result for Dom McKay as the CEO looks to fund the Ange Postecoglou rebuild.
