Celtic’s cryptic tweet on David Turnbull caused mayhem in the Scottish transfer market over the past few days. The Motherwell sensation was close to joining the Hoops as they had reportedly met the £3m valuation for the teenager, but the statement in social media suggests disagreement with the player’s entourage despite tabling a fascinating offer.
Currently, we have been unable to come to an agreement with the player’s agent.#CelticFC is content that it has made a magnificent offer and it is now up to the agent and player to decide if the player wants to join Celtic.
If not, we move on. (2/2)
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 14, 2019
The champions made their take-it-or-leave-it stance pretty clear on Friday night. While the player is prioritising minutes over money, he has not closed the door yet on a move and is still open to a move to Parkhead in the coming days.
The talks are still undergoing between the club and Turnbull’s agent Liam O’Donnell according to MailSport (as claimed by the Daily Record) even though they are expecting offers from Championship outfits Barnsley and Bristol City. Bournemouth are also keeping close tabs on his status, but Neil Lennon still holds an edge in roping in the Scotsman.
Barnsley, though interested, have not met the figures tabled by Celtic. The Robins might match the asking fee, but the player should prefer to stay in Scotland for at least a couple of years more to continue his development before aiming for a more ambitious move.
The Bhoys, meanwhile, seem to have played a masterstroke by sharing the latest update of the long-stretched transfer saga. This has put the pressure back on the player who must decide his future now to avoid further uncertainty and confusion. The 15-goal midfielder might have to wait for a while before claiming first-team football, but the tutelage of the Northern Irishman and his trust on the youth would see him securing a pivotal role in the middle of the park.
Celtic are open to offloading Oliver Ntcham amid interest from Marseille, Porto and Lyon whereas Tom Rogic struggled last season through fitness and form. The inclusion of Turnbull would inject flexibility in midfield due to his ability to operate box-to-box, as a ‘number 10’ and also down the left of a three-man midfield.
He has represented his nation in several youth ranks and is rated as their NxGn superstar in the aftermath of a breakthrough campaign after making significant strides through Motherwell’s academy ranks.
