Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has slammed Kristoffer Ajer’s agent for his recent comments.
FootballInsider247 had previously revealed that Ajer has rejected a contract offer from Celtic. Ajer’s agent had recently told NTB (via Sporten) that his client would be leaving Celtic at the end of the current season and he won’t be renewing his deal with the club.
Was Ajer's agent right to speak publicly?
No, it is nonsense
He has the right to do that
Hutton, who also played for Aston Villa, Tottenham and Rangers in his career, was recently talking to FootballInsider247 and he was talking about Ajer’s situation at Parkhead.
He said: “It’s a bit of a strange one, I think he’s been excellent for Celtic, he’s done really well this season. Whether the agent’s quotes have been taken out of context or not, I don’t know. I just think, agents, it just gets in the way, it just causes a problem.
“They just need to keep all that nonsense out and let the player do the talking on the pitch, which he is. You cause uncertainty in the team, with the manager, with the hierarchy. You just don’t need it.
“It puts you off as a player, if that was me I’d be telling my agent to be quiet. It’s affecting everybody. It’s the one area with agents that I don’t like.”
A regular Parkhead
This season, Ajer has made 49 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops. He has scored four goals during this time, picking up a couple of assists. In the Premiership, the Norwegian has played 28 games, scoring three goals.
He had joined the Parkhead-based side from Norwegian side Start in 2016 and joined the club in June of that year. Since joining Celtic, Ajer has made 129 appearances in all competitions for the club. He has scored five goals, assisting three times.
TIF Tactics
Hutton’s comments come at a point when the Premiership has been suspended due to the ongoing pandemic problem. It will be a good time to judge Hutton’s comments when Ajer plays and when the Premiership comes back on. If his performances dip, it could mean that the defender has been affected by his agent’s comments.