Callum McGregor is the heartbeat of Celtic.
There have been many occasions where the Celtic skipper has taken the team out of a hole and put three points on the table.
But there are now suggestions that McGregor could move to the Saudi Pro League, after Brendan Rodgers joined Al Qadsiah following his Celtic exit in October.
One man who knows McGregor better than most is the man he replaced as captain, and that’s Scott Brown.
Do you think Callum McGregor would ever leave Celtic?
Scott Brown on whether Callum McGregor will leave Celtic for Saudi Arabia
Charlie Mulgrew raised the issue as to whether Rodgers would try to sign McGregor, given the recent rumours.
The Celtic fans won’t like to hear it, but Brown stated that if he were in Rodgers’ situation, he would take McGregor ‘right away.’
But Brown admitted, knowing McGregor’s character, he doesn’t think he would move to the Middle East, even though ‘money does talk’, as he told The Breakdown.
Mulgrew: “Do you think Rodgers will try to take him to Saudi?”
Brown: “If I were Brendan, I would try to take him right away.”
Mulgrew: “Do you think Celtic would let him go there with him, though?”
Kevin Thomson: “They would have to pay the money. Hard to stand in his way at the age that he is.”
Brown: “To be fair, there is a lot of money in Saudi. I think one thing about every football team, you are a selling team.
“We can all say, ‘we didn’t want to let him go.’ But, at the end of the day, money does talk if it’s going to benefit Celtic. You never know what could happen.
“Would Cal want to leave, really? To go to Saudi? I don’t really think so. I think he enjoys his football. He’s the more mature captain (compared to me). He has done a great job.”
Name three players you would sell in the current Celtic side
Brown thinks McGregor needs help
Celtic need to refresh the squad, and you sense in January, and then in the summer, there will be a much-needed makeover.
But one area that needs to be targeted is McGregor’s, and that’s a younger player coming in that can play that number six role.
Brown touched upon how the man with the armband needs help because he can no longer be expected to do it every week.
“Everybody trusts Cal in the Celtic team,” said Brown.
“Every Celtic fan would trust Cal playing in there. You have KT that you trust 100% to play week in and week out. You have to try to find others to help them out. You can’t keep relying on the same lads as well.
“Look, Cal is 32 now. You need somebody to help Cal out now and then. How many times has he dug us out this season?
“Some quality goals. Captain’s performance. Going there, 93rd or 94th minute, and score a goal. Gets you those three points. That’s what he does.”
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