Recently rumours (Goal) are doing the round that Russian heavyweights Zenit Saint Petersburg are planning to make a £9m move for Celtic’s attacking midfielder Tom Rogic. It is believed that Rogic will prefer a move to the Premier League if he is sold and reports from the Goal mention that the £9m fee is unlikely to be accepted by the Hoops.
Update from Lennon
Recently Neil Lennon was asked about the Australian international’s future. He was quoted as saying, ”I haven’t heard anything, and there have been no enquiries. It’s just speculation at the moment, as far as I’m concerned. He is a good player, and I want to keep all of my good players. He’s not fit yet, but, hopefully, he’ll join the group at some stage next week.”
It seems like Lennon has Rogic in his plans for the next season and Zenit are yet to make a concrete approach for the midfielder. The 26-year-old has been a crucial player for the Bhoys over the years, but he struggled last season with form and injuries.
Rogic is still reeling with a knee injury, and he is not expected to play a part in Celtic’s upcoming Champions League qualifiers. Last season, Rogic managed to start in just 13 games in the Premiership. He made 35 appearances in all competitions and contributed with five goals and six assists.
What should be Lennon’s play?
The report mentions that a £9m offer is unlikely to be accepted by Celtic, but we feel that the Hoops should accept the bid. The emergence of Ryan Christie since the last season has been a big plus for the Bhoys and he can easily slot in as an attacking midfielder. There is no doubt that the Scotsman had a better season than the Australian and we think that Christie should be starting over Rogic for the next season.
Therefore £9m for a backup player is too good an offer to ignore in our mind. Celtic have already spent big money in the transfer market, and they can look to invest the £9m they get into other positions. They still need to make additions in almost all areas of the pitch so the departure of Rogic will help them in investing in the squad.
Maybe Celtic can look to increase his asking price to somewhere around £12m, but anything above £10m also looks like a good deal to us. Some fans might feel that the move will be a harsh one, but if the money is invested well in the squad, then Celtic can come out as a better team by selling the Australian playmaker.
