Celtic have accepted that they can no longer order an unreasonable transfer fee for striker Odsonne Edouard, which opens the door to interest from Arsenal and Leicester City.
The Frenchman has been in exceptional form for Hoops despite their “ten in a row” hopes crumbling by the Rangers. He scored his 20th goal of the season against Aberdeen a few weeks ago, and just 23 years old, it seems like a matter of time before he secured a big move – either to the Premier League or mainland Europe.
He could have moved on in the summer if he had pushed for it, but Neil Lennon persuaded him to stay and help the club get their tenth consecutive title over the line. But that has not happened and now, with his contract expiring in 2022, Celtic is in a difficult position.
Odsonne Edouard! Such a smart finish from the Frenchman! ✨
Celtic could not have asked for a better start against AC Milan! ? pic.twitter.com/TyTAjXaEAK
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 3, 2020
In August, it was reported that Celtic wanted £ 40 million to share with the hitman, but now The Telegraph says a fee of around £ 15-20 million should be enough to get rid of him. It is dramatic, but not unrealistic: Celtic are in a much weaker negotiating position now than a year ago.
It is said that Arsenal are leading when they try to recreate their forward line in the upcoming transfer market. Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are entering the final years of their respective deals next season, and they can each be moved on to make way for a new striker, with Edouard as a realistic replacement.
#AFC | Would Odsonne Edouard be an upgrade of Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette? I wrote some thoughts for @ 90min_Football ✍? Https: //t.co/8e6d3NgyH0
– Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) January 21, 2021
However, Brendan Rodger’s interest in taking him to Leicester is no secret, and if the player can choose between the two, he can lean towards the East Midlands – especially if Champions League football is on the agenda.
But whatever happens, Celtic will certainly not lose Edouard for free. And with the player showing no signs of signing a new contract, their only option seems to be to get back some sort of fee for him to earn now while they still can.
Edouard has spent a total of four seasons at Parkhead, scoring 81 goals in 163 appearances since joining PSG on a first loan in 2017. That includes an impressive strike rate of 15 in 36 European appearances, while also scoring 17 on just 13 caps for France at level below 21 years.
17 – After his strike against Iceland yesterday, Odsonne Édouard has now scored 17 goals with the French U21 team, at least two more than any other player in their history, in just 13 internationals. Unstoppable. # U21EURO @CelticFC pic.twitter.com/s1XwY6PsoY
– OptaJean (@OptaJean) April 1, 2021
At Celtic Park, there is a feeling that his potential exceeds Moussa Dembele, who did 45 times for Lyon before moving to Atletico Madrid. It seems more and more likely that he will get the chance to prove it next season.
