John Hartson has today laughed off the reported £8million valuation of James Forrest.
A shock report from the Scottish Sun revealed that Liverpool were apparently ready to make a move for the Hoops winger. But the piece also hilariously stated that the Kop side felt they could get him for as little as £8m.
Since then, the likes of Chris Sutton has laughed off the price-tag. The general consensus is that Celtic could command well into the eight-figure bracket for someone of Forrest’s ability.
As of yet, no formal offer has been made from Merseyside to the Hoops. And Hartson has today laughed off any idea Liverpool could nab him so cheaply. Speaking in the Evening Times today, Hartson was strong in his argument.
“£8m? That might get you his big toe.
“We are not talking about a pup at 16 or 17. We are talking about a boy who has scored goals at international and Champions League level and who has blossomed into an winger who guarantees double-figure goals.
“So spare me the £8m chat. If – and it is a big if – there was anyone looking at Forrest then they would need to triple that number just to get Celtic interested.”
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Not sure about big John’s valuation
Whilst we’ll all have our own valuation for how much Forrest is worth, the £24m mark may be a bit much.
But there’s no denying the base of Hartson’s argument is 100% spot on. Celtic are no longer in a position where they need to sell for low amounts. Their star players have recently been going for well into eight-figures, and Forrest falls into that category.
Hartson’s comments aren’t anything that the rest of us aren’t thinking. Forrest has been at Parkhead throughout his entire career to date. He’s never left, and a recently-signed new contract reaffirms that he still isn’t ready to head off.
Of course, it’s important not to blame Liverpool for the silly figure being branded about. As previously mentioned, they’ve yet to actually make a formal approach to Celtic, and probably won’t anyway.
But Hartson is spot on. If anyone wants to try and take one of Celtic’s most important big-game players, they better be prepared to spend some heavy money.
£8m? For which match?