Pundit Stevie Mullen has recently made a claim about the future of Celtic central defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Mullen was a guest on the latest episode of A Celtic State of Mind podcast and he discussed many issues involving the Parkhead side.
One player that he focused on was Ajer and Mullen believes that the Norwegian is not Celtic’s centre-back for the long term and his head has already turned because of interest from elsewhere. Ajer is currently valued at £3.6m.
The defender has been linked with a move to Milan over the last few months. Premier League side Leicester City have also drawn links with a move for the defender and interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid was also reported (as per Calciomercato).
Tuttosport (via Daily Record) have previously stated that Celtic want €30 million (£27 million) for the defender, but Mullen believes that getting around £15 million from Ajer’s sale would be a “good deal” for the Bhoys.
He said: “I think it is far too high for Kristoffer Ajer. I even believe that if we get £15 million, I think that’s a good deal for Celtic.
Do you think Ajer wants to leave Celtic?
Yes
No
“I don’t see him as a long-term Celtic central defender. I think Kristoffer Ajer’s head has been turned – he wants to go.”
TIF Thoughts…
Ajer has been a regular for Celtic this season and he has made five appearances in all competitions for the club. He has picked up a very good WhoScored rating of 7.27 for his performances in the league this season.
He also made as many as 49 appearances in all competitions last season and 28 of those appearances came in the Premiership.
That’s a clear reflection of the fact that Ajer is an important part of Neil Lennon’s side and because of that, Celtic wouldn’t want to lose a player like him.
If the player’s head has been turned by interest from other clubs though, Celtic should demand as much as they can for him so that they can use the money to find the best possible replacement for the Norwegian.