Celtic manager Neil Lennon says new contracts for the Hoops’ top stars will be discussed “down the line” as the club looks to hold onto its key assets.
The Hoops are closing in on Monday’s transfer deadline without having sold any of their top talents. However, in not doing so, it also comes with a risk.
Odsonne Edouard’s contract is up in the summer of 2022, whilst Ryan Christie, Kristoffer Ajer, and Olivier Ntcham all see their deals run out at the same time (Transfermarkt). Effectively, this summer would’ve been the best time to rake in maximum value for them then.
But Lennon has insisted that Celtic are in a positive place to offer their players new contracts, and that it’s something the club is going to look at.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, Lennon said: “Once you get beyond the window you can see where you are financially.
“We are in a decent position to be able to offer the boys new contracts, so that’s something we will look at down the line.”
Tying down half of those players would be good business
Whilst it’s vital Celtic get some of their best players tied down for the longer-term, we also must be realistic as supporters about what the club can actually achieve here.
All of the players mentioned above have been linked with moves away this summer alone. Getting them all to agree to new deals when they know it makes it harder for other clubs to buy them could be tricky.
For me, I would say getting Edouard down on another year along with Ajer, whilst managing to get Christie to sign a long-term contract would be brilliant business. That would be a move that would allow the club some flexibility and allow them to achieve maximum value for one or two of their assets next summer whilst keeping them here for the 10.
It’s great to see that the club are making moves towards this end too. There has to be something done about the vast amount of talent scheduled to leave the club in just two short years.
If new deals aren’t agreed, clubs won’t come sniffing for them with the price they should be next year. Instead, Celtic will likely only see cut-price offers come their way.
Considering how much we’ve brought on the likes of Edouard, Ajer, and Christie – that’s just not on. Hopefully we see some progress here in the coming weeks after the transfer window has closed.
In other news, Lennon has also disclosed an update on behind-the-scenes infrastructure, whilst pinpointing the one area he wants to strengthen before the window shuts.
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