Burnley boss Sean Dyche has provided an update on reported Celtic target Robbie Brady as he confirmed the club are in discussions over a new deal.
The Daily Mirror reported earlier this week that the Ireland international was one of Celtic’s top summer targets. This wasn’t an idea that many Celtic fans were happy with either.
This mainly seemed to stem from two things. One being that it was perhaps a sign Neil Lennon is pushing forward in his plans for next season. And secondly, the player doesn’t necessarily fit the profile of signings Celtic usually go for. At 29, there are major concerns regarding longevity there.
But regarding those contract talks, Dyche has stated that the conversations are ongoing and that the deal with “work itself out”.
As quoted by Lanc Live, Dyche said: “The talks with all players are ongoing, no matter what level of contact they’ve got, other than the lads which have just literally signed.
“But as soon as they’re a little bit into their contract we always keep tabs with their agents and the players to let them know, so that one (the Brady deal) will work itself out.
“It not always hard work and it’s an interesting way of putting it. Often it’s just ‘will you accept that? No, yes, okay, done. It’s not always hard work, it’s just simple conversations that are open and then try and get the right outcome.”
Burnley clearly having trouble tying Robbie Brady down; Celtic fans won’t like what move would represent
Dyche makes some interesting comments here. He states for the most part that conversations over new contracts aren’t always hard work. However, the fact Brady has just several months remaining on his deal suggests previous talks have been fruitless.
Make no mistake, this is a player Burnley will want to keep. He’s made 18 appearances for the club this season, starting nearly half of their Premier League matches too. He’s been a regular in recent weeks also – bagging six starts in their last nine league games [Transfermarkt].
Yet one goal and one assist in those 18 games doesn’t read well from a Celtic perspective. His influence with Ireland has also dipped off too. He has one goal and two assists in his last 25 – it’s clear in terms of direct goal contributions [Transfermarkt], Brady isn’t providing all that much.
But it’s perhaps what this deal would represent regarding Celtic’s future plans that would upset fans the most. Sealing Brady on a pre-contract deal would be a massive sign that Neil Lennon is keeping his job.
That prospect is absolutely unthinkable. It’s not acceptable for the club to try and mask the disaster of this season with a few meaningless wins towards the end of it. This can’t be rectified by a winning run that doesn’t even bring us success at the end of it.
If Brady signs, fans will be more concerned with that prospect than any potential weaknesses in the Ireland international’s game. We’ll see what happens, but for now he appears locked in talks with Burnley.
In other news, it appears that Celtic have really upset these English fans after Tuesday decision.
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