Brighton are plotting a £10million bid for Celtic attacking midfielder Callum McGregor, according to Scottish Sun.
The newspaper claim the Premier League club have been keeping close tabs on the Scotland international, who has been a crucial player for the team that has won the double treble for the Hoops in the past two seasons.
The Scottish Sun report Brighton manager Chris Hughton has been impressed by McGregor and the player’s “ability to make and take chances seen as perfect” for his side.
Good move for Celtic?
Not really. McGregor is a key man for Brendan Rodgers’ side and alarm bells would be ringing if the club cashed in on a popular player who has graduated from the youth ranks to establish himself in the first team. Celtic offloaded Moussa Dembele and Stuart Armstrong in the summer, and have been far less effective as a result. Getting rid of a 25-year-old with an impressive record of creating and scoring goals – his 182 Hoops appearances have yielded 33 goals and 32 assists – would be counter-productive, even if the £10million fee is a seductive one.
This Is Futbol rating 3/10
Likely to happen?
Celtic fans will be concerned that a Premier League club are ready to shell out an eight-figure fee for one of their first-team regulars. Brighton do not have the Scottish team’s history or prestige, but they benefit from the English division’s eyewatering broadcasting deal and have the funds to make the Hoops an offer they can’t refuse. If McGregor is keen and could be persuaded to quit his boyhood club, this is very much a go-er.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10