Motherwell’s David Turnbull may not be heading to Celtic if things stay the same.
The Daily Record has today revealed that there is a gulf in how both sides value Turnbull. Motherwell apparently want £3million for their prized asset. Celtic, however, don’t seem to value him anywhere near that.
The latest bid to have been rejected was a £2m one. Whilst Celtic have had an offer rejected by Motherwell for Turnbull, it isn’t clear as to whether it was us or Barnsley who offered as much as £2m (BBC).
The Record also states that Bournemouth have asked to be informed of ongoing developments here. Bristol City, meanwhile, have also apparently enquired about his valuation.
So it’s fair to say that the competition is heating up. If Celtic want their man, it’s difficult to see how they get away with paying the full price Motherwell want. After all, there is plenty of interest in Turnbull, even if it’s unclear as to how much the competition are willing to spend.
Celtic can afford the going rate
What’s frustrating in this case is that Celtic can easily afford the £3m Motherwell want. If Celtic truly wanted Turnbull, they could have him in days. That’s undeniable. The Hoops have the finances to make short work of deals like this, even though Peter Lawwell will always look to do the cheapest deal possible for the club.
Turnbull has managed 15 goals this season from midfield. That’s more than Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, and Olivier Ntcham have bagged this year too. The midfielder clearly has something extremely special about him, and it’s down to Celtic to make it clear they want him.
We saw last year with John McGinn how costly it can be to not show how much you want a player. The last thing we need is for Turnbull to feel as though we don’t value him the way other interested parties might. He’s another Scottish youngster who we would be crazy to let slip through our grasp.
But the deal looks less likely than it did a couple of weeks ago. Motherwell aren’t likely to budge, and why would they? The worst thing that happens to them is that nobody matches the £3m and they get to keep their Player of the Year. He’s contracted to Fir Park until the end of the 2020/21 season (Motherwellfc.co.uk).
The ball is in our court. Celtic know what they have to do to sign Turnbull, so here’s hoping they simply go out and do it.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
