Tom Rogic had been likely to leave Celtic this summer before Ange Postecoglou arrived at the club, The Athletic has reported today.
The outlet believes Rogic was being lined up by Asian Champions League clubs hoping to capitalise on his Australian passport, but that the situation could have changed now his compatriot is in the door.
Celtic accepted a bid from the Middle East for Rogic last year. However, the player decided against a move.
Rogic knows Postecoglou very well due to their work with the Australian national team together. Rogic has also spoken positively about his influence in the past and even compared him to former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.
If anyone can get the best out of the attacking midfielder, it’s the new man in the dugout.
However, fitness issues and struggling form over the last 12 months are hard to see past. Postecoglou will have to quickly assess whether Rogic is up for the fight next season. If he isn’t, moving him on is still the best thing for all parties.
Celtic transfer frustration beyond Tom Rogic
The Athletic also cites ‘multiple sources’ who are frustrated with Celtic’s outgoing transfer dealings this summer. Apparently, there’s a belief that Celtic are unnecessarily prolonging negotiations between clubs.
This dovetails with the report from the same outlet yesterday about Odsonne Edouard’s failed move to Leicester City.
In fairness to Celtic, with a new manager only just in the door, it would make sense for there to be a slight delay in arranging outgoing deals. It’s only June for goodness sake. Other clubs can wait for all I care.
What’s most important is that Postecoglou is comfortable with his squad and the situation at Celtic. If he needs a bit of extra time to assess players before an exit, so be it. That’s the situation we’re in.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou did his coaching badges with Albert Kidd; glowing verdict from Celtic ’86 icon.
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