Celtic’s status as the biggest draw in Scottish football can be seen from the fact that there has been transfer speculation surrounding the Glasgow giants even though football has been suspended for almost two months. With this season potentially coming to an untimely end, as the SPFL is likely to declare the campaign complete and crown Celtic champions, thoughts will immediately turn towards the 2020/21 campaign and the shape of Celtic’s squad, despite the understandable concerns about when the season will even get underway – leading bookmakers like www.bettingsites24.com are close to paying out on Celtic winning this season’s title.
There have been players linked with arriving at Celtic, and also a couple who could be making their way out of the club. Celtic fans will probably not want to hear this, but one of the jewels in their crown, Kristoffer Ajer, is reportedly one of those with one foot out of Parkhead. The Norwegian centre-back has reportedly told his agent to look for a move to a bigger club in the summer, with Leicester City and AC Milan both supposedly interested in a transfer. While this does not definitively mean that Ajer will not be a Bhoy next season, it is a clear sign of interest from the 22-year-old that he would possibly like to test himself at a higher level now. Celtic will not bank the full transfer fee from any sale either, with 10% of any fee received going to his former club IK Start. Nevertheless, given that they signed him for just £550,000 back in 2016, the club is set to make a handsome profit, even after the sell-on fee is paid. However, while the money will be welcomed, especially in the current climate where revenues have been dealt a hammer blow, Ajer’s departure, if it materialises, will be a huge blow for the club from the squad’s perspective, with the Norwegian having developed into one of the best defenders in the league during his time in Scotland.
In terms of incoming players, there has recently been a lot of noise around Tottenham’s young winger, Jack Clarke, according to many online bookmakers 2020 this week. The 19-year-old, who was signed by Spurs for £10million from Leeds United last summer and then immediately loaned back, has not had the best of campaigns, with his (now) former side barely utilising him, as Marcelo Bielsa saw no value in playing someone who was not going to be at the club a year down the line. Spurs eventually recalled him in January, and sent him to QPR, where he has fared a bit better, albeit only playing five times before the Championship season was suspended. Despite having made just 33 appearances in his senior career till date, he has made enough of an impression for, firstly, Spurs to shell out that much money to sign him, and secondly, for Celtic to be interested in bringing him over on a temporary deal in the summer. This interest is not immediate; Celtic had made a loan bid in January as well before Clarke went to QPR instead, and their persistence could finally be rewarded in the summer, in a move which would be mutually beneficial for both parties.
These are just two of the many rumours linking Celtic with arrivals and departures from their first-team squad. It remains to be seen whether any of these come to fruition, but meanwhile, Celtic fans can look forward to being crowned champions yet again as the current season is brought to a premature end in the coming days.
