The likelihood of Celtic keeping hold of defender Kristoffer Ajer this summer appears to have improved after an image of the player posing in the club’s 2020/21 home kit recently emerged.
As per Football Insider, a leaked image surfaced online and involving the Norwegian. The image had Ajer wearing Celtic’s new Adidas kit for next season. He sat alongside Callum McGregor and James Forrest, who were wearing the Hoops’ away and third Adidas jerseys.
The report also claims that as a result of the image, the Hoops appear ‘confident’ in fending off interest from other clubs for Ajer. They say that this could be an indication that Celtic have reached a ‘breakthrough’ in their attempts to keep the defender at Parkhead beyond this summer.
Ajer has been linked with a move to Milan in recent weeks by CalcioMercato, which also revealed that Leicester City are interested in signing the central defender this summer.
Do you believe Ajer will stay at Celtic?
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While no one knows what the future holds for the £2.43m-rated Ajer or whether the image truly suggests something positive, Ajer was a regular for the Hoops in the 2019/20 season. He made 49 appearances in all competitions. In the Premiership, the Norwegian played in 28 of their 30 games (via Transfermarkt).
Ajer’s current deal at Parkhead runs out in the summer of 2022 and he last signed an extension back in 2018 – so it has been a while since he was last handed a new deal. Celtic may need to act and hand Ajer an extension soon considering the interest from other clubs, as getting him signed to a new deal would only increase the certainty around Ajer’s future as he enters the penultimate year of his contract.