According to the talkSPORT presenter Alex Crook, Southampton have no interest in Celtic star Ryan Christie, contrary to The Sun‘s report. He has also ruled out Stuart Armstrong’s potential return to Parkhead during the final week of the ongoing summer transfer window.
Told #SaintsFC have no interest in #Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie. Also no substance to rumours linking Stuart Armstrong the other way.
— Alex Crook ⚽️? (@alex_crook) August 24, 2021
Celtic’s 2020-21 season was a collective failure and Christie, one of their star performers in recent years, underwent a dismal run of form across competitions. But he has been majestic so far under Ange Postecoglou despite being deployed in a not so familiar left-wing role.
However, the player has entered the final year of his Celtic contract and the interest from Burnley, Sheffield United and Sampdoria has been reported due to his availability on a cut-price deal. The gaffer does not want to lose the 26-year-old playmaker and has urged the club to convince him to stay beyond next summer.
Why Celtic Must Find A Solution This Summer
The Hoops have recovered from early jitters and are enjoying a winning streak both at home as well as abroad. They have been spot on in terms of transfer business as the likes of Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi are firing and setting up goals in almost every game. James Forrest is back in business overcoming the injury nightmare and the versatility of Christie has restored depth, balance and quality down the wide.
The Scotland international progressed through the youth ranks of Inverness Caledonian Thistle before joining the Bhoys back in 2015. He was sent back to his boyhood club on a season-long loan but was recalled in December after sustaining a knee injury against Motherwell. His minutes were limited in Glasgow during the 2016 calendar year but a January loan (in 2017) to Aberdeen saw him featuring week in week out until the summer of 2018.
Since returning from loan, Christie has been integral to the Hoops’ success and failure over the past three campaigns. The club might prefer to make a monetary profit over losing their prized asset for nothing in a few months’ time, and no interest from the Saints must be a worrying sign. It would be a significant blow if the other suitors do not step up the chase before the window is slammed shut and the Scotsman decides to let the deal run in order to sign a pre-contract agreement next year to complete a Bosman transfer.
