Celtic have taken the Scottish Premiership by storm and are taking marauding steps towards clinching a domestic treble. With a 3-0 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup final in November, the Bhoys are in the scheme of things as far as the Scottish Cup is concerned as well. More importantly, they are leading the race to clinch the league title, having accumulated a huge lead of 27 points over Aberdeen who are placed second and can very well finish the season being invincible.
In their magnificent run of form, one of the main men Brendan Rodgers has had the luxury of implementing is Craig Gordon. The 34-year-old has been absolutely resilient between the sticks, having bagged 13 clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership already and no wonder why Chelsea were attempting to get him in their ranks in the January transfer window.
Gordon’s shot-stopping abilities have caught a lot of attention from the football fraternity and let’s not undermine the way he commands the back line, deals with the crosses and how he distributes the ball. Celtic might have to face another stiff battle against Antonio Conte’s outfit in the summer in order to keep the Scottish international at the Celtic Park. Apparently, reports have emerged that Celtic have started negotiating with the former Sunderland goalie over a contract extension.
Merely 18 months remain in Gordon’s existing contract and there are no two views on the perception that making a move to a mega-club like Chelsea is always very lucrative. Of course, Rodgers can’t match the financial muscle of the Pensioners but he can still enhance his no. 1’s wages and persuade him to stay, can’t he and shouldn’t he?
The Scottish champions have been buzzing in the domestic competitions, but finding a stronghold in the Champions League is something that they have failed to manage. Besides, they have to keep the momentum and group cohesiveness going in the coming season as well, and thus, should try to tie him down with a new contract.
A significant rise in pay over his current £12,000-a-week deal might enable Celtic to fend off the interests from the Blues in the summer. Moreover, the veteran goalkeeper shouldn’t be unaware of the notion that he would be the second fiddle if he moves to Stamford Bridge, considering the persistence of Conte with Thibaut Courtois. From a neutral perspective, should Gordon extend his stay and picks game time over bucks, it would be a win-win situation for the club as well as the player.
