Report: Burnley make contact with Celtic amid Ryan Christie contract mess

By Euan Davidson

July 8, 2021

Burnley are looking to take advantage of the Celtic contract mess surrounding Ryan Christie, according to the Daily Mail.

In today’s Daily Mail [08/07, Euros Verdict pullout, p11], the paper states the Clarets are monitoring Christie’s situation and have made contact.

According to the report, Burnley’s boss Sean Dyche is a fan of the Scottish attacker, who helped his country qualify for Euro 2020 with a goal against Serbia.

Christie, once a pivotal player for Celtic, has seen his stock fall dramatically over recent months. Two months ago, The Daily Mail reported [print edition, 25/04, back page] reported that the Scotland star has a contract that runs out mid-season.

Now, the same publication are suggesting that Burnley are looking to make a bargain move for the midfielder.

In 20-21, Christie made a whopping 15 assists, and scored 7 in all competitions [Transfermarkt]. Popular or not, that’s a lot of productivity to lose in the final third.

As for Burnley, it’s a bit of a strange link. Sean Dyche’s sides typically rely on wingers to provide creativity, while two sitting midfielders absorb pressure in the middle. They don’t tend to play with an out-and-out number 10.

So, it’s not the natural link. Monaco and Nice had been named as potential Christie suitors [Sunday Post]. However, it’s hard to believe the lure of the Premier League wouldn’t be tempting for the creative Scotsman.

According to his Dad, anyway [Glasgow Times]. Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City were also said to be keeping an eye on Christie recently [Daily Mail].

Whether you’re a fan or not, the Celtic and Ryan Christie contract drama is symptomatic of bigger problems

Ange Postecoglou already has his work cut out trying to sort this Celtic team out. For Ryan Christie to have reportedly been handed a contract that runs out mid-season is utterly baffling.

It’s symptomatic of bigger issues the new Celtic boss will have to deal with regarding contracts at the club. Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer’s deals both expire next summer.

See also: Olivier Ntcham, Ewan Henderson and Vakoun Issouf Bayo [Transfermarkt]. Of course, it’s natural that a club would have imminently expiring deals to worry about. However, at this volume? For a top side? It’s a little more unusual, especially with the sums that could be generated from these players.

As for Christie, he divides opinion, and that’s fair enough. However, by sheer numbers alone, he’s going to be hard to replace. While David Turnbull looks to be an absolute revelation, his future probably lies a bit deeper than the no.10 role.

Ewan Henderson, Luca Connell, Barry Coffey and more lie waiting in the wings, and that’s a comfort. However, a player who was once extremely valuable to Celtic shouldn’t be mired in this much uncertainty.

READ MORE: Son of Celtic Cult Hero signs professional terms with the Bhoys