A report in The Scottish Sun has revealed the details of Celtic’s attempts to tie Ryan Christie down to a long-term deal with the Scottish champions looking to extend his contract until 2023.
However, former Rangers full-back, Alan Hutton, speaking to Football Insider, believes that the Hoops should be offering more, given his importance to Neil Lennon’s side last season.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked about the report in The Sun and the terms rumoured to be on the table, he said:
“He must have a couple of years left anyway, I would say he’s got a year or two left so to only give him a year onto his two years is a bit strange.
“I think he’s been a fantastic player, goals and assists he’s been right up there. He kind of reminds me of Armstrong, who went to Southampton, same kind of mould, same kind of ability.
“I would have thought they’d have tried to tie him on a long-term deal but I think he’ll be an integral part of the squad next season and moving forward and I’m sure, whatever the offer, it will be good enough to get him to stay.”
So is Hutton correct?
Three years is a long time in football and anything can happen, for example, Christie himself went from looking like he was heading out the door at Parkhead to becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.
Without knowing the terms on offer, it can be expected that the Scotland international will be moving up the Celtic squad pay scale to reflect his importance to the team and as such – in a time when finances are unpredictable in football – it is prudent of the board and Nick Hammond not to overspend.
What Celtic are doing is protecting their asset, Stuart Armstong signed a contract extension to allow the club to make more money when they sold him to Southampton and if Christie is the subject of interest from the Premier League, the length and value of his contract puts them in a strong negotiating position.
Hutton is correct in terms of the club valuing a player to match his importance to the club but three years is more than enough to be considered a good deal for all parties.