Celtic look set to be involved in a few “will they, won’t they?” transfer sagas this summer and top of the list will be Odsonne Edouard with the news that the Frenchman has entered into contract talks with the Parkhead club.
However, former Rangers full-back, Alan Hutton, believes that he won’t be signing any long term deals but wouldn’t be surprised if he sticks around for another year in an interview with Football Insider.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked about Neil Lennon’s revelations on Sky Sports that they are attempting to tie Edouard down to a longer deal, he said:
“He’s their main man, it doesn’t surprise me, I’d be doing everything I could do get him to stay. Only being 22 at the moment, I can’t imagine him signing a long-term deal.
“The only way I can possibly see it is if there is a release clause in it to let him go for a particular amount of money that both him and club were happy about.
“It seems like there’s a lot of factors involved in the new deal that will need working out but with this pandemic and stuff, you never know – he might stay for another year depending on what teams are willing to pay for him.
“If it was me, I’d definitely be trying to sign him to a new long-term deal.”
So is Hutton correct?
Thankfully, Edouard still has two years left to run on his current deal so any negotiations will be to bring his contract in line with what the club value him at and his importance to Celtic.
A lot of talk has been about Edouard protecting himself by having a release clause inserted into any new deal and Hutton isn’t the first to mention this, it could be valuable for both parties if an appropriate fee can be agreed.
The biggest problem Celtic could face with this though is that there is the potential for them to lose Edouard and not be able to place him with the news that FIFA will sanction and extension of the transfuse window for those nations that are completing their seasons.
With the Scottish window planned to shut, as usual, at the beginning of September, Lennon could see the likes of Arsenal trigger Edouard’s release clause as late as October and be powerless to stop him moving or replace him.
If he only had a year left on his deal it would make more sense, but given the unprecedented circumstances Scottish football finds itself in, it is a risk that isn’t worth taking given the historical importance of the upcoming season.