Have Celtic been given a boost in their hopes of keeping one of their star players at the club?
It’s been widely expected that Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer will depart Parkhead for a move south of the border.
However, the Hoops could actually stand a chance of keeping Ajer at Paradise.
What’s the word?
Ajer has been linked with Norwich City and Newcastle United in recent weeks with the Magpies sending scouts to watch him in the closing weeks of the season.
Unfortunately for Newcastle’s, they look like they could be priced out of a deal.
That’s because the Daily Record report that Celtic are seeking around £16m for the defender.
Newcastle were hoping to sign him for £8m but only have £12m to spend this summer according to the Daily Mail.
With that in mind, it elevates the chances of Ajer remaining in Glasgow unless the Hoops dramatically decrease their valuation, which they have very little incentive to do.
Huge boost
With Celtic so disastrous from a defensive point of view this season, losing Ajer would only make them worse.
To suggest the Bhoys were abject at the back would be putting things lightly. They shipped 19 goals throughout their Europa League group stage campaign, shipping a haul of eight goals in two matches with Sparta Prague.
[snack-amp-story url= "https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney" title="Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!"]
They also conceded 16 more goals than Rangers in the Premiership. Celtic were still potent in attack with Edouard notching 22 strikes but without Ajer, they’d suffer considerably.
He has been the glue holding this team together, a man who has led from the front with his performances and served as an example to the rest of the team.
To lose a player like this, therefore, would be incredibly bad news to supporters. They’ve already suffered enough this term without one of their most influential leaders departing so easily.
It bodes well for the Celtic fans that Dominic McKay and the club’s hierarchy are being so resolute over the price tag.
They lost Kieran Tierney for £25m only for him to now be touted at around £70m. Ajer is a player with a particularly high ceiling so Celtic are doing the right thing in holding out for more money.
The Norwegian is in the final year of his deal but such is his importance at Parkhead that they cannot let him go without a fight.
At the moment, it looks like he could stay in Scotland unless Newcastle finds more funds. This should be a boost to everyone associated with Celtic, including their angsty supporters.
Without him, results on the pitch would surely only get worse.