Celtic have been handed a big boost in their bid to keep in-demand striker Odsonne Edouard this summer.
The Hoops forward has been linked with the Parkhead exit door for a considerable period of time and his future remains particularly unclear.
What’s the word?
Edouard has been catching the eye of the English Premier League for over a year now.
Interest mounted last summer but his time in Glasgow has been severely under threat in the last few months.
West Ham wanted him in January while Leicester and Arsenal are now among the frontrunners at this moment in time.
That said, they have now received a boost in their bid to keep him at Lennoxtown. That’s because according to Anfield Central, he’s actually rejected a contract from Liverpool.
They reportedly threw a weekly salary of £60,000 his way but he turned them down because he wasn’t keen on playing second fiddle to their current options.
This is the issue that a number of teams could have this summer which now elevates the hope of him remaining in Scotland.
A key figure
Edouard has been a fantastic servant for Celtic down the years but it’s hard to deny that he hasn’t downed tools in the last few months.
Heading into the Old Firm derby on Sunday, the Frenchman had only scored once in his last five league outings with his overall contribution failing to set the world alight.
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He wasn’t running hard for the team and then when he got in goal scoring positions, he spurned opportunities that you’d back him to finish with his eyes closed.
The Scottish Cup fourth round defeat to Rangers was a particularly bad one. Edouard missed a simple chance from a matter of yards out and then saw a penalty saved by Allan McGregor in the Gers goal.
That said, he is still a devastating player, an individual capable of carrying the Bhoys to glory. He has scored 82 in 166 for Celtic and has 21 goals this term, by far the most of anyone in the current squad.
Edouard looked back to his best last weekend too. Although the Hoops were thrashed 4-1 by their biggest rivals, the striker still put in a shift.
He scored a well-timed header at the back post to equalise and was then described as “magical” by Ally McCoist during Sky Sports’ coverage of the game for plucking a long ball forward out of the sky with a mesmerising touch.
On his day, Edouard can look sluggish and disinterested. However, if he’s in form, he’s undoubtedly the best player in the whole division.
In the last two seasons, the attacker has scored 38 goals in the Premiership, 14 more than Alfredo Morelos for instance.
The fact that he's rejected a contract from one of the biggest teams in Europe should leave Dermot Desmond and Dominic McKay delighted; they simply have to keep a hold of him.