Celtic could have some serious competition for centre-back Edson Alvarez this summer, should the club be interested.
According to Mediotiempo, the Hoops could be rivaled by Premier League money down south in the form of Wolves. It’s also been reported by the same outlet that Alvarez’s release clause is £7.9million.
This comes on the same day it was reported that Celtic had a bid rejected for Alvarez in January. The Club America star apparently had an offer of around £5.1m by us turned down for him (ESPN). This came back in January, which means Brendan Rodgers would’ve been the manager when the interest was concrete.
Nothing was reported on Alvarez during January. But it’s fair to say he’s had a positive campaign this year in any case. Alvarez has managed 40 starting appearances and 46 outings overall. That’s exactly the kind of longevity Celtic could do with at the back, and he would need that stamina if he made the move to Parkhead.
According to Transfermarkt, Alvarez’s contract runs until 2022. Therefore, there’s no chance of Celtic picking him up on the cheap anytime soon either.
ESPN also believe that Celtic could be rivaled by the likes of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. Given Ajax’s increased European reputation, that could also be trouble if we have an eye on the Mexican.
Some promising targets available
Alvarez is just the latest potential defensive name to be linked with Celtic. And it’s no surprise either considering the rebuild job we need there.
Srdjan Babic is a potential name that’s been linked with Parkhead too since Neil Lennon arrived (Hurriyet). Filip Benkovic, meanwhile, has openly admitted he would be open to a return next season on-loan from Leicester City (Evening Times)
But the addition of Wolves into the Alvarez mix could easily take the financial talk beyond what Celtic could be willing to spend. It’s unclear whether Celtic are even still interested in him either, with Lennon coming in as a change of management.
But what is clear is that there are some promising young talents available at centre-back if Celtic decide to go out and spend. It’s a position we could do with seriously strengthening in, and the club simply has to recognise that.
Whether it be Alvarez, Babic, Benkovic, or anyone else, they have to have a substantial level of quality. The names linked with Celtic have some strong pedigree to them, but we know the club better than to take that for granted.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
