Celtic winger Scott Sinclair is wanted by Championship play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough, according to the Scottish Sun.
The report claims that they are looking to sign him in a £2million deal regardless of what division they end up in.
Sinclair’s contract runs until the summer of 2020 after Celtic activated a year’s extension.
That means this summer window would be the last feasible one to exact a big fee for him, and he could leave on a free transfer the following June.
He would also be free to talk to foreign clubs about a pre-contract deal in January.
Good move for Celtic?
Sinclair has flattered to deceive since he won the 2017 Scotland Player of the Year. He’s been in really poor form recently and despite a few signs this season that he was getting back to his best, we think Celtic are better off cashing in on him this summer and using the funds to rebuild. If they don’t then they’d only be able to get a nominal fee for him in January and would most likely lose him for free the following summer. £2million for a 30-year-old who’s not been in good form is good business and would recoup a big chunk of the £3.69million they paid for him from Aston Villa in 2016.
TIF Rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
We could definitely see this happening if Middlesbrough don’t win promotion. Sinclair has previous in the Championship, winning promotion with Swansea and he could still do a job if they look to play another season in the gruelling second-tier in England. With all due respect to Middlesbrough that’s the most likely place for them in the 19/20 campaign. A win for Derby County tonight would all-but condemn them to the Championship again. Is Sinclair still good enough for the Premier League? That’s another question, although there’s argument that he would make a good squad player.
TIF Rating: 8/10