One of the transfer stories that could threaten to turn into a saga is Celtic’s reported pursuit of David Turnbull.
The Hoops were linked with a move for the SFWA Young Player of the Year on Friday by the Daily Mail. A £1.2million bid was rumoured to be what Celtic were considering.
Motherwell Chief Executive Alan Burrows was quick to state on Twitter that the club would be looking for no less than “significantly” more than their record transfer fee. That fee was £1.75m for the late Phil O’Donnell, who Celtic signed back in 1994.
Next up, it was reported by the Daily Record that Motherwell were looking for £3m after Celtic enquired about his availability. Nothing has been heard since, and this could drag out for some while yet. But, reacting to the news via Twitter, many Celtic fans have been urging the club to get a deal done.
https://twitter.com/LoganHannah1888/status/1134453508848201729
More than worth the asking price
Peter Lawwell and Celtic will likely look to get him for less than £3m. But at the end of the day, Turnbull has the full package, and has an incredibly bright future in the game.
Not too dissimilar to a young Stuart Armstrong, Turnbull is both a ball-winner and an attacking force. His energetic displays for Motherwell made the Steelmen tick. Playing alongside players such as Scott Brown and Callum McGregor could do wonders for his development.
£3m is perhaps a lot to pay for a young talent in Scotland, but this could be a solid investment. Turnbull also only recently signed a new long-term contract that ties him to Fir Park until 2021. This was likely to help drum up a good fee for Motherwell too.
A quick deal with everyone happy at the end of it would be the perfect scenario here. Centre-midfield isn’t a priority position this summer, so getting Turnbull done quickly would allow us to move our focus onto some more primary targets.
Then again, dithering about and simply revisiting this could see us pipped by other clubs who show more urgency to get a deal done *cough* McGinn *cough*.
The talent is there with Turnbull, and it’s clear many Celtic fans are up for this deal being finalised too. Hopefully, Lawwell’s eyes are also on a quick solution here.
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