According to Record Sport, Celtic are set to play hardball with Leicester City over the summer transfer of Odsonne Edouard. The Frenchman has entered the final year of his Parkhead contract, but the club are determined to make a significant financial profit amid interest from an array of suitors.
The 23-year-old centre-forward joined the Hoops for a club-record £9m fee after impressing on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. He, alongside Moussa Dembele, ran riot in the Premiership, but the egress of the latter saw Edouard spearheading the Celtic attack with sheer expertise. Brendan Rodgers played a key role in his development before leaving for Leicester and the youngster is still exhibiting his scoring traits week in week out.
Although the Bhoys underwent an underwhelming campaign leading to Neil Lennon’s dismissal, a reunion at King Power can’t be ruled out with Rodgers pursuing a move to bolster the Foxes frontline. They have conquered the FA Cup crown defeating Chelsea in the Wembley final, however, a defeat on Tuesday night against the Blues has jeopardized their Champions League hopes. The ‘top four’ hunt is set to go down to the wire and the lack of goals from Jamie Vardy remains a concern.
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Vardy, meanwhile, will be 35 next season. The emergence of Kelechi Iheanacho is a sigh of relief, but the club must rope in a long-term successor of Vardy. It’s not going to be easy to emulate the success of such a stalwart figure and the gaffer, therefore, is relying on Edouard as he flourished under his tutelage back in Scotland.
While the Foxes are confident enough to secure his services for around £15m, Celtic have set a price tag of £20m for their prized asset irrespective of his contract situation. The player wants to experience a fresh challenge elsewhere, but the club’s stance might complicate things further in the upcoming months.
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The Bhoys have parted ways with Patryk Klimala, whereas the likes of Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti have failed to justify their reputation high up the pitch. They need reinforcements to reclaim the Scottish crown and the money received from Edouard’s transfer would allow them to upgrade the current set-up.
Having said that, the Hoops must strike a deal this summer. The Les Bleus ‘number 9’ would be eligible to pen pre-contract term from January and the excessive negotiation might hit Celtic hard in case no one agrees to meet their valuation for Odsonne Edouard.
