Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is said to be “clearly unhappy” after the club rejected two bids for around £ 10 million, despite an earlier agreement that he could leave the club if a “suitable” offer came in.
The versatile 23-year-old has only one year left on his contract, and it is likely that the Bhoys will try to make money this summer to ensure they do not lose him on a free transfer.
Athletic notes that Ajer has expressed his desire to leave the club this summer, but that has not stopped Celtic from rejecting offers from Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League new boys Norwich City.
A transfer to the Bundesliga and Leverkusen would give Ajer the opportunity to play in the Europa League, but the Norwegian international could also be attracted by the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League.
Daniel Farkes Norwich secured promotion to the top flight last season at the first time asked, and has already been active in the transfer window. The Canary Islands have signed former Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn, while they have also captured top-ranked winger Milot Rashica for £ 9.4m from recently relegated Werder Bremen.
Ajer in action for Norway against Greece in an international friendly / Fran Santiago / Getty Images
Ajer, meanwhile, are said to be one of their main defensive goals.
Although Ajer is agitating to leave Celtic this summer, it is noted that he can choose to see the last year of his contract and assess all the options available to him next summer. In fact, he may still be an integral part of new boss Ange Postecoglou’s plans for next season – the Greek-Australian has taken on the role full-time after John Kennedy’s tenure as interim manager.
In terms of other expenses, Celtic appear to have been fighting Leicester’s progress for prolific striker Odsonne Edouard, while speculation about the future of both Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie has been muted in recent weeks.
Odsonne Edouard goes nowhere, for now / Ian MacNicol / Getty Images
Should Ajer stay at Celtic, he will build on a five-year career at the club which has seen him make 170 appearances in all competitions, where he was part of the historic team that won the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup. treble three years in a row.
