According to the latest reports in Daily Record, Western Australia are close to finalising a deal for Celtic’s veteran midfielder and captain Scott Brown. The 33-year-old is in the final year of his contract, and this is going to come as a surprise to many as in September 2018, Brown himself said that committing his future at Celtic was just a matter of time.
He had said (The Scottish Sun), ”Me and the club we are speaking. There is no problem between myself and the club. They know I’m going to sign. There are no issues whatsoever. It’s just a matter of time for us to get it done.”
However, after the recent comments from Western Melbourne’s Maurice Bisetto, it seems likely that Brown’s 12-year stint at Parkhead is going to come to an end. He was quoted as saying, ”We are pretty close with some players including a marquee. We are looking at a pre-season start in June, so things need to get moving. We think Scott Brown has a lot of positives and could make a significant contribution to a new club…as a leader on and off the field.”
Rodgers had earlier said (The Scottish Sun) that he had given some time to Brown to decide about his future and it seems like he is not going to be at Celtic Park beyond this season. There is no doubt that his powers are waning and after the defeat against Rangers in the Old Firm derby, it was quite evident that the 33-year-old is past his prime.
Brown failed to settle into the game as he was harassed and chased off the pitch by the Rangers midfielders. The tabled had definitely turned as it was Brown who used to do this the other way around. However, one cannot blame Brown for choosing a big money offer at this stage of his career. His next contract could very well be the last of his playing days, and any player would like to make the most of this limited time.
Rodgers is going to lose a significant presence on and off the pitch. Even if someone like Brown doesn’t play regularly, he would have had a massive impact in keeping the team and dressing room together and in a tight situation, the manager could have always turned to an experienced head like him.
Celtic should now try and let their captain leave on a high by securing yet another treble. Brown would still have a part to play this season even though he might see limited game time. All in all, losing him is going to be a blow, but Celtic should look forward to life without him.
