Former Celtic and Gunners star Charlie Nicholas says Arsenal will not be making a bid for Odsonne Edouard this summer but the Hoops must brace themselves for offers from other English clubs.
The Sky Sports pundit says he is hopeful that the 22-year-old will stay at Parkhead, but he feels the Scottish champions may be prepared to sell up for the right price.
Nicholas thinks four Premier League sides are likely to be keen on Edouard, although the current financial climate means bids may be lower than Celtic would have hoped for:
“For Edouard to leave I do think it would take a sizeable fee, whether that is £25 or £30million. People argue he is worth more than Tierney because he is a striker and he gets goals but the problem is that the market has changed dramatically post-Covid-19.”
“I don’t see Arsenal making a move for him but I could see Everton, West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United or Leicester City making bids. Leicester is the one of interest because Brendan Rodgers rates him so highly and was the one who signed him for Celtic. He knows he can trust Edouard to play the way he wants.”
“That is important because I don’t see him fitting into an Everton or a Newcastle, but he might suit a Leeds United and would also do well at Leicester. He has to go to a club that suits his style because he knows that when he does leave and goes to the Premier League he is probably walking into a £100,000-a-week contract.”
“They have six weeks, which is a long time, to wait until the transfer window closes. If they can keep him then he is key to Celtic winning 10 and it is no secret that winning this league is everything to the club.”
With the Frenchman’s contract expiring in 2022, the Hoops are in a difficult spot. They could sell for a reasonable fee next summer with 12 months left on his current deal, but it may still be a lower amount than they’ll receive in the coming weeks.
However, if Edouard stays around for ten in a row, they may think it is worthwhile to take a hit on his valuation. The best-case scenario would, of course, be Edouard putting pen to paper on a new contract but that doesn’t seem too likely at the moment.
