According to reports in The Sun on Sunday (30/09; page 59), Celtic’s attacking midfielder Callum McGregor is wanted by Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion who are weighing in a £10m move for the attacking midfielder. It is believed that the player is also interested in a move to England and reports say that if Celtic fail to go past their group in the Europa League, he will try to push through for a move in January.
This is a worrying sign for Brendan Rodgers as he has already lost quite a few of his attacking talents in the summer window. McGregor is another one of the players who has come through Celtic’s academy and made his debut in 2013. Under the tutelage of Rodgers, the attacking midfielder has made over 100 appearances and is one of the most important members of the current team especially now that the club lost talents like Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele in the summer.
The £10m price will certainly be tempting for Rodgers but selling him would seriously derail their current campaign. McGregor hasn’t had the best of starts to this season as he is yet to score a goal but so far Rodgers has preferred him over Scott Sinclair.
Playing in the top division of English football could be tempting for the 25-year-old but at Celtic, he is likely to be their main man, and along with that, the Scottish international will get a chance to play in European competitions every year. McGregor is contracted to stay at the club until 2021, having signed a new contract last year only.
Rodgers has often used him down the left side of the pitch, and his tireless work rate, agility and ability to pick out passes is one of his stand out features. We have often seen when clubs from English top division come calling, it is even difficult for a club of Celtic’s stature to keep hold of players and Rodgers would be dreading a scenario like that.
The manager already has too much on his plate, and one can expect a busy and a tough transfer window for the Bhoys in January. They haven’t been able to find the back of the net regularly, and there is every chance that they might go in for a striker in the winter transfer window. The club also has to solve the Dedryck Boyata situation who is in the final year of his contract. Therefore, Rodgers cannot afford to have another one of his essential players create a ruckus to leave the club.
Leaving the club in January will definitely leave a sour taste among the fans especially because McGregor is Scottish and one of the home-grown players of the club. However, to reach greater glory, sometimes players need to take a certain call, and if there is a concrete offer from Brighton, one can see him depart in the summer.
