Five Facts About Odsonne Edouard That Justify Celtic Demanding More Than £25m
Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has confirmed that Celtic will be demanding in excess of £25m for Odsonne Edouard if the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or Leicester make a move for the Frenchman.
The 22-year-old has been in blistering form for the Hoops this campaign and Solhekol says a switch during the upcoming transfer window is unlikely:
“Odsonne Edouard is not necessarily going anywhere. He’s had a great season, scoring 28 times, and he’s only 22 so it’s not surprising other clubs are looking at him closely.”
“He’s got two years left on his Celtic contract and he could sign a new deal. The biggest fee that a Scottish club have ever received for a player is the £25m Arsenal paid Celtic for Kieran Tierney last summer.”
“Someone would need to offer more than that for Celtic to be tempted to do business and that kind of money is unlikely to be flying round the transfer market during the next window.”
That will be music to the ears of Celtic supporters who would love to see Edouard stick around for ten in a row. Even in the difficult financial climate, the Scottish champions should not be undervaluing their best players.
Here are five facts about the France Under 21 international that justify Celtic’s transfer stance.
Goal Contributions
During his time with Celtic, Edouard has scored 60 goals and provided 31 assists in 126 appearances for the club. It means he averages a goal contribution every 1.38 games.
This season, the Frenchman has been even more impressive, with a contribution every 0.97 games in all competitions.
Goals In Europe
Edouard has not only been contributing goals in the Scottish league, he has also been banging them in at the highest level in European competitions.
Since his arrival at Celtic Park, the Frenchman has made 29 appearances in both the Champions League and the Europa League. He has scored 11 and provided six assists, which is not a bad return.
International Pedigree
Edouard has yet to be called up for France’s senior side, but he has been impressing observers since he was handed his debut for the Under 21s back in September.
The 22-year-old has scored an extremely impressive 11 goals in just six caps, with a hat-trick against Slovakia as well as three braces.
The Dembele Factor
Although the current financial climate means transfer market prices will be affected somewhat, Celtic can cite Moussa Dembele’s current valuation as a potential indicator of Edouard’s value.
After selling the Frenchman to Lyon for €20m in 2018, he is now valued at around €60m. While the Hoops won’t be holding out for such a figure in Edouard’s case, the two players remarkably similar records for the Hoops justify the comparison. Dembele scored 51 in his 94 games at Parkhead.
Unique Attributes
Edouard is a powerful striker with pace and the ability to link up play with his teammates. His attributes are perfectly suited to the top leagues in Europe.
The forward cannot simply be accused of being a flat-track bully playing in an inferior league, especially if you consider how past players, like Dembele, have fared after leaving the club.
You may be interested in reading:
Four Targets Celtic Are Watching Ahead Of The Next Transfer Window
Four Celtic Stars Who Could Be Poached By Other Teams This Summer
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