Callum McGregor has established himself as an integral member of the current Celtic squad and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed down south. Bournemouth are said to be interested (Daily Record) in making a move for the midfielder in January and it is believed that Eddie Howe is a big admirer of McGregor. It was also reported that the English outfit would be willing to pay as much as £10m (Daily Star) to acquire his services.
However, Celtic have played their card rights and managed to make McGregor sign a new improved deal at Celtic Park. The current contract will see him stay with the reigning Scottish Champions until 2023 and for now, it would take an exorbitant offer from Bournemouth to sign Mcgregor in January.
After signing the contract, the 25-year-old was quoted as saying (BBC Sport), “It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and when you get the chance to extend your stay, it’s a no-brainer for me. I want to be here for as long as I can. The last 12-18 months has been a big period for me.
”I’ve really come to the fore in terms of performances and to be an established part of the team is something I’m proud of. For me, it’s about work-rate every day. You come in and try to be the best player and that carries on to a Saturday, so it becomes a habit.”
McGregor has played the most number of games for the Hoops this season and that shows how much the manager trusts him. Also, the midfielder has performed in various positions and his versatility has been a major asset for Rodgers. So far he has played in a deeper role in midfield, on the left flank and also as a number 10. His linkup play and intelligence on the ball are his major assets and he would seamlessly fit into the Premier League given the form he has shown so far.
The Bhoys are back on the top of the table and they have also made it through to the Europa League knock out stages. There were talks about a drop in Celtic’s form this season but they are still on course to wrap up all the domestic honours once again.
It remains to be seen how hard the Cherries would go for McGregor now that he has signed a new contract. But one still cannot count them out as the English clubs have shown their tremendous spending power in the last few years. However, we think Celtic are safe now as even if they go on to lose Mcgregor, they can get enough transfer funds for him to look for an able replacement.
